September 16, 2025, 12:14 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
WhatsApp now has nearly three billion users worldwide, making it the most popular messenger on the market. Many of them use it on Android smartphones, such as those from Samsung—and that’s now a problem. The company has issued an urgent security warning and a corresponding update because of WhatsApp.
Samsung Warns of Attacks on WhatsApp
Samsung itself has stated on its official security updates page that the South Korean company has been informed of an active exploit. This means that cybercriminals are already actively exploiting the vulnerability.
As Forbes further explains, the issue specifically lies in a memory vulnerability in an image analysis library provided by third parties. This could allow malicious actors to remotely execute harmful code on other devices. This problem is primarily present with the popular messenger, which is why Samsung has issued a warning regarding WhatsApp. The vulnerability is considered critical.
According to Brian Thornton, who works at the company Zimperium, the current case shows how quickly attackers can change their strategy to focus on mobile devices. The Samsung issue with WhatsApp is said to pose a “significant risk” across all of the company’s devices.
Multiple Android Versions Affected
The current security flaw would affect devices with Android 13 or higher. Both Samsung and WhatsApp have already provided patches, but Galaxy smartphone owners may have to wait a bit longer.
Also of interest: Samsung Reportedly Plans Radical Design Update for S26
Unlike other companies such as Apple or Google, Samsung has specific update sequences depending on the model, region, and even mobile carrier. Owners of a Galaxy device should be on the lookout for a new update. However, it is not known how long it will take for it to be available to them.