India’s top cybersecurity agency, CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team), has issued a high-severity warning for users of the WhatsApp Desktop application. A newly discovered vulnerability could allow remote attackers to execute malicious code and gain unauthorized access to user systems.
The vulnerability affects specific versions of WhatsApp Desktop for both Windows and macOS, and the warning was released in April 2025. Users are being urged to update immediately to mitigate the risk.
What’s the Risk?
According to CERT-In’s official advisory, the vulnerability lies in the way WhatsApp Desktop handles incoming messages and system-level permissions when linked with a mobile device. This could allow a specially crafted message or file to exploit a flaw in the app’s codebase.
In CERT-In’s words: “Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.”
Source: CERT-In Advisory – April 2025
Who Is Affected?
The vulnerability affects users running the following versions of WhatsApp Desktop:
- WhatsApp Desktop for Windows v2.2407.5 and earlier
- WhatsApp Desktop for macOS v2.2407.5 and earlier
Users who regularly sync WhatsApp between mobile and desktop are especially vulnerable if they have not enabled auto-updates or are using an older installer.
What Users Should Do
To stay protected, CERT-In recommends the following immediate actions:
- Update to the latest version of WhatsApp Desktop via the official website or Microsoft Store/Mac App Store
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links or opening unknown file attachments via WhatsApp
- Enable automatic app updates
- Use reliable antivirus and endpoint protection tools
WhatsApp (owned by Meta) has since released a patch addressing the issue. Users who installed updates after April 3, 2025 should be safe — but verifying your app version is highly recommended.
Why This Matters
WhatsApp has over 2 billion active users, with a rapidly growing base relying on the desktop app for work-related communication. A vulnerability of this nature opens the door to:
- Remote code execution (RCE)
- Data exfiltration from personal or work devices
- Ransomware injection
- Phishing attacks and surveillance via malicious files
Cybersecurity experts warn that such vulnerabilities highlight the importance of endpoint security and timely software patching in an era of hybrid work.
Conclusion
This latest alert from CERT-In is a stark reminder that even trusted platforms like WhatsApp can become gateways for cyberattacks if left unpatched. If you’re using WhatsApp Desktop on Windows or macOS, now is the time to update — before threat actors take advantage.
For IT teams and organizations, ensuring that employees are running the latest version is critical to maintaining network integrity and data safety.
