Attention WhatsApp users! Govt flags security flaws, issues alert, says hackers can launch…; Check affected users

A high-severity security alert has been issued by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) for WhatsApp Desktop users on Windows.

WhatsApp vulnerability: The government has flagged security loopholes in popular messaging platform WhatsApp. A high-severity security alert has been issued by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) for WhatsApp Desktop users on Windows, warning that cyber attackers could exploit a security vulnerability to execute arbitrary code or launch spoofing attacks, that can compromise user data and system security.

Which users are affected?

As per the CERT-In advisory, the vulnerability, that arises from a misconfiguration between the MIME type and file extension, causing improper handling of attachments. Thus, if a user opens a malicious file sent through WhatsApp, the security loophole could allow attackers to run arbitrary code or spoof the system.

The critical vulnerability affects devices running WhatsApp Desktop for Windows versions earlier than 2.2450.6, it said.

How attackers could exploit WhatsApp vulnerability?

The vulnerability, listed as CVE-2025-3040, has been classified as “high” in severity because it could allow attackers to gain access to user data, or even complete control of the affected system, and is impacts desktop users who use WhatsApp on Windows for messaging, calls, and media sharing.

The CERT-In has warned that the security flaw could be exploited by cyber criminals who can send malicious code disguised as regular attachments, which when opened manual on WhatsApp Desktop, could trigger the loophole, allowing the attackers access to user’s system, which could result in data theft, spoofing, or the entire machine being compromised.

What users need to do?

The CERT-In advisory has urged WhatsApp Desktop to update to latest version of the app from the Microsoft Store on Windows. The vulnerability has been patched in the latest build. Additionally, users can also download  the fix from WhatsApp official site (https://www.whatsapp.com), and also check out the security advisory by visiting https://www.whatsapp.com/security/advisories/2025.