# CVE-2019-11928: Cross-site scripting in WhatsApp Desktop

> An attacker can execute cross-site scripting attacks in WhatsApp Desktop by sending a specially crafted live location message with a malicious link.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Sep 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m3fj-55xx-478h

## What is CVE-2019-11928?

CVE-2019-11928 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Facebook WhatsApp Desktop, published on 3 Sep 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An input validation issue in WhatsApp Desktop versions prior to v0.3.4932 could have allowed cross-site scripting upon clicking on a link from a specially crafted live location message.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-11928?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Whatsapp Whatsapp Desktop.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-11928?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-11928 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-11928 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-11928 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Facebook WhatsApp Desktop

- [CVE-2020-1889](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1889/): Security feature bypass in WhatsApp Desktop (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-11928 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-11928 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Facebook WhatsApp Desktop, published on 3 Sep 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-11928 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Facebook WhatsApp Desktop. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11928/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11928/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-11928
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11928
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-11928

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11928/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.