CVE-2025-55179Network attack vector

Arbitrary-URL media processing via rich responses

Published Nov 18, 2025 · Updated Nov 18, 2025

Incorrect authorization in affected WhatsApp Apple clients allows remote authenticated users to trigger arbitrary-URL media processing. Rich response validation fails to restrict a referenced media URL before passing that attacker-selected location into recipient-side processing. A WhatsApp account must send the crafted message, after which the recipient device handles media from the selected external location.

CVSS severity5.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in affected WhatsApp Apple clients allows remote authenticated users to trigger arbitrary-URL media processing. Rich response validation fails to restrict a referenced media URL before passing that attacker-selected location into recipient-side processing. A WhatsApp account must send the crafted message, after which the recipient device handles media from the selected external location.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-55179
Published
Nov 18, 2025
Updated
Nov 18, 2025
Vendor
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Product
WhatsApp for iOS
Classifications
CWE-863
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 18, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=2.25.8.17 <2.25.23.73

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp for iOSversion=2.25.8.17 <2.25.23.73
Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp Desktop for Macversion=2.25.8.14 <2.25.23.83
Meta Platforms, Inc. · WhatsApp Business for iOSversion=2.25.8.14 <2.25.23.82

Published CVSS scores

5.4MetaCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo