CVE-2023-38538Network attack vector

App termination via event subsystem race

Published Oct 4, 2023 · Updated Sep 19, 2024

A heap use-after-free in affected WhatsApp clients allows remote attackers to terminate the app during established audio/video calls. The event subsystem races during an established call and accesses a heap object after its lifetime has ended, permitting unexpected control flow. Exploitation requires user interaction in an established audio/video call, and Meta describes unexpected control flow as having very low probability.

CVSS severity5.0
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A heap use-after-free in affected WhatsApp clients allows remote attackers to terminate the app during established audio/video calls. The event subsystem races during an established call and accesses a heap object after its lifetime has ended, permitting unexpected control flow. Exploitation requires user interaction in an established audio/video call, and Meta describes unexpected control flow as having very low probability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-38538
Published
Oct 4, 2023
Updated
Sep 19, 2024
Vendor
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Product
WhatsApp Desktop for Windows
Classifications
CWE-362, T1203
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 4, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 19, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <2.2320.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp Desktop for Windowsversion=0 <2.2320.2
Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp for Androidversion=0 <2.23.10.77
Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp Business for Androidversion=0 <2.23.10.77
Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp for iOSversion=0 <2.23.10.77
Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp Desktop for Macversion=0 <2.2338.12
Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp Business for iOSversion=0 <2.23.10.77

Published CVSS scores

5.0Meta Platforms, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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