CVE-2025-55179 is an authorization vulnerability classified under CWE-863, found in WhatsApp Business for iOS and related WhatsApp clients. The issue arises from incomplete validation of rich response messages, which are messages that can contain interactive or media content. Specifically, the vulnerability allows an attacker with low privileges (likely a contact or user with some access) to trigger the processing of media content hosted at arbitrary URLs on another user’s device without proper authorization checks. This could lead to unauthorized access or manipulation of media content, potentially compromising confidentiality and integrity of user data. The affected versions include WhatsApp for iOS prior to v2.25.23.73, WhatsApp Business for iOS v2.25.23.82, and WhatsApp for Mac v2.25.23.83, with the initially reported vulnerable version being 2.25.8.14. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without requiring user interaction, increasing its risk profile. However, no evidence of exploitation in the wild has been reported to date. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.4 (medium severity), reflecting the moderate impact on confidentiality and integrity, ease of exploitation, and the lack of impact on availability. The flaw could be leveraged to cause a victim’s device to fetch and process malicious media content, potentially leading to further attacks or data leakage. Meta (Facebook) has published the vulnerability and assigned the CVE but has not yet provided explicit patch links, indicating that fixed versions are either recently released or forthcoming.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to confidentiality and integrity of communications and media shared via WhatsApp Business on iOS devices. Unauthorized processing of media content could lead to exposure of sensitive business information or manipulation of media assets, which could be exploited for espionage, misinformation, or social engineering attacks. Organizations relying on WhatsApp Business for customer communication, especially in regulated sectors like finance, healthcare, or legal services, may face compliance risks if sensitive data is compromised. The vulnerability’s remote exploitability without user interaction increases the threat surface, particularly in environments where WhatsApp Business is widely used on iOS devices. Although availability is not impacted, the potential for unauthorized data access or manipulation could damage organizational reputation and trust. Given the lack of observed exploitation, the threat is currently theoretical but warrants proactive mitigation to prevent future attacks.

European organizations should immediately verify the versions of WhatsApp Business for iOS and related WhatsApp clients deployed within their environment. Updating all affected clients to versions 2.25.23.73 or later for WhatsApp for iOS, 2.25.23.82 or later for WhatsApp Business for iOS, and 2.25.23.83 or later for WhatsApp for Mac is critical. In the absence of explicit patch links, organizations should monitor official Meta channels for updates and apply them promptly. Additionally, organizations should implement network monitoring to detect unusual outbound media requests or unexpected URL fetches initiated by WhatsApp clients. Employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor application behavior on iOS devices can help identify exploitation attempts. User education should emphasize caution when interacting with unsolicited or unexpected media messages, even though user interaction is not required for exploitation. Finally, organizations should review and enforce strict mobile device management (MDM) policies to control app versions and restrict installation of unapproved software.