CVE-2019-3568 Meta Platforms WhatsApp: memory-safety flaw
In plain words: The program mishandles the memory it uses to keep track of data. A specially made input can scramble that memory. Usually lets an attacker crash the program or run their own code with its permissions.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline May 10, 2022
What to do
- Install Meta Platforms's security update for WhatsApp. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- WhatsApp VOIP Stack Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
- Product
- Meta Platforms WhatsApp
- CISA description
- A buffer overflow vulnerability in WhatsApp VOIP stack allowed remote code execution via specially crafted series of RTCP packets sent to a target phone number.
- Type of flaw
- Memory-safety flaw (CWE-122)
- Confirmed exploited
- Apr 19, 2022
- US federal patch deadline
- May 10, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2019-3568 ·
Questions about CVE-2019-3568
Is CVE-2019-3568 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2019-3568 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Apr 19, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2019-3568?
Install Meta Platforms's security update for WhatsApp. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2019-3568?
Only if you use Meta Platforms WhatsApp. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.