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Fencer Intel
medium 4.2

CVE-2018-3986 json

An exploitable information disclosure vulnerability exists in the "Secret Chats" functionality of the Telegram Android messaging applicatio…

published 2019-01-03 7 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2018-15772

cvss
4.2
version 3.0, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.4%
EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 37%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

An exploitable information disclosure vulnerability exists in the "Secret Chats" functionality of the Telegram Android messaging application version 4.9.0. The "Secret Chats" functionality allows a user to delete all traces of a chat, either by using a time trigger or by direct request. There is a bug in this functionality that leaves behind photos taken and shared on the secret chats, even after the chats are deleted. These photos will be stored in the device and accessible to all applications installed on the Android device.

Exploit prediction

0.43% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 37% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

Exploits and checks

  • talosintelligence.com https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2018-0654 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.0 4.2 CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
NVD 3.1 5.5 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
NVD 2.0 2.1 AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Affected products

  • n/a Telegram

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-200 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

References

Sources

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.