CVE-2018-20436
CVSS v3
8.1
HIGH
EPSS Score
1.6 %
exploit probability, as of 2026-09-25
CISA KEV
No
known exploited
Exploitation
—
SSVC status
Description
The "secret chat" feature in Telegram 4.9.1 for Android has a "side channel" in which Telegram servers send GET requests for URLs typed while composing a chat message, before that chat message is sent. There are also GET requests to other URLs on the same web server. This also affects one or more other Telegram products, such as Telegram Web-version 0.7.0. In addition, it can be interpreted as an SSRF issue. NOTE: a third party has reported that potentially unwanted behavior is caused by misconfiguration of the "Secret chats > Preview links" setting
Technical details
- Published
- 2018-12-24
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2018-20436?
The "secret chat" feature in Telegram 4.9.1 for Android has a "side channel" in which Telegram servers send GET requests for URLs typed while composing a chat message, before that chat message is sent. There are also GET requests to other URLs on the same web server. This also affects one or more other Telegram products, such as Telegram Web-version 0.7.0. In addition, it can be interpreted as an SSRF issue. NOTE: a third party has reported that potentially unwanted behavior is caused by misconfiguration of the "Secret chats > Preview links" setting
Is CVE-2018-20436 actively exploited?
Active exploitation of CVE-2018-20436 has not been confirmed. Its EPSS score was 1.6% on 2026-09-25, the estimated probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What is the CVSS score for CVE-2018-20436?
CVE-2018-20436 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.1 (HIGH severity).
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