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CriticalCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

WhatsApp VoIP RTCP Buffer Overflow RCE

IdentifiersCVE-2019-3568CWE-120

CVE-2019-3568 is a buffer overflow in the WhatsApp VoIP stack that allowed remote code execution by sending a specially crafted series of RTCP packets to a target phone number during a WhatsApp call. The issue was exploitable in WhatsApp for Android prior to 2.19.134, WhatsApp Business for Android prior to 2.19.44, WhatsApp for iOS prior to 2.19.51, WhatsApp Business for iOS prior to 2.19.51, WhatsApp for Windows Phone prior to 2.18.348, and WhatsApp for Tizen prior to 2.18.15. The provided content describes the flaw as a zero-click issue in the calling/VoIP functionality: malicious call initiation traffic and RTCP data could inject code into device memory even if the target did not answer the call, after which additional spyware payloads could be downloaded and installed.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation enabled remote code execution on the target device from a remote attacker who only needed the victim's phone number and the ability to reach the victim over WhatsApp calling infrastructure. In the documented abuse, the flaw was used to install Pegasus spyware, enabling covert surveillance of infected devices and access to sensitive data and communications after decryption on the endpoint. The content indicates affected victims included journalists, activists, lawyers, diplomats, political dissidents, and government officials.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Apply the vendor updates immediately and ensure clients are running patched builds. Because the issue was zero-click and triggered through WhatsApp calling traffic, mitigation options short of patching were limited. Where immediate updating was not possible, reducing exposure to WhatsApp calling functionality and closely monitoring high-risk devices for compromise would have reduced risk, but the content specifically supports vendor patching and server-side fixes as the primary mitigation.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade WhatsApp to a fixed version or later: WhatsApp for Android 2.19.134+, WhatsApp Business for Android 2.19.44+, WhatsApp for iOS 2.19.51+, WhatsApp Business for iOS 2.19.51+, WhatsApp for Windows Phone 2.18.348+, and WhatsApp for Tizen 2.18.15+. The content also states WhatsApp/Facebook closed the vulnerability in May 2019 and advised users to update the application; server-side fixes were also deployed.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
Meta PlatformsWhatsappapplication
Meta PlatformsWhatsapp Businessapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence3

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware3

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures2

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity1

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.