Zero-day vulnerability in WhatsApp Messenger for Android

Buffer overflow
CVE-2019-3568

The vulnerability was used in a targeted attack against a limited number of people. First vulnerability exploitation was detected on May 12 2019. The attackers targeted a phone of a UK-based human rights lawyer to install spyware.

Known malware:

Pegasus

Vulnerability details

Advisory: SB2019051401 - Remote code execution in WhatsApp

Vulnerable component: WhatsApp Messenger for Android

CVE-ID: CVE-2019-3568

CVSSv3 score: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H/RL:O/RC:C

CWE-ID: CWE-119 - Memory corruption

Description:

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

The vulnerability exists due to a boundary error within the WhatsApp VOIP stack when processing SRTCP packets. A remote attacker can send a series of specially crafted SRTCP packets sent to a target phone number, trigger buffer overflow and execute arbitrary code on the target device.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may result in complete compromise of vulnerable system.

Note: this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild.

External links:



About zero-day vulnerabilities

Zero-day vulnerability is an undisclosed vulnerability in software that hackers can exploit to compromise computer programs, gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, penetrate networks, etc. We consider vulnerability a zero-day when there is no solution provided from software vendor and the vulnerability is being actively exploited by malicious actors.

Zero-day candidate is a potential zero-day vulnerability in software which might have been used in targeted attacks, however there is no evidence to support this suggestion.