Indian Government issues security warning for WhatsApp users: Check if you are affected

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a high-severity security alert for WhatsApp Desktop users on Windows. The agency has warned that a vulnerability could let attackers execute arbitrary code or launch spoofing attacks, potentially compromising system security.

Devices affected
The vulnerability affects users running WhatsApp Desktop for Windows versions earlier than 2.2450.6. According to CERT-In, the issue arises from a misconfiguration between the MIME type and file extension, which causes improper handling of attachments. If a user opens a malicious file sent through WhatsApp, the flaw could allow attackers to run arbitrary code or spoof the system.

CERT-In has classified the issue as “high” in severity due to its potential to give attackers unauthorised access to data or full control of the affected machine. This flaw, listed as CVE-2025-30401, impacts desktop users who rely on WhatsApp for messaging, calls, and media sharing.

What government has said
The advisory warns that the vulnerability could result in data theft, spoofing, or full system compromise. The government agency has said that attackers could exploit this flaw remotely by sending specially crafted attachments that, when opened manually within WhatsApp, trigger the vulnerability.