Can a WebP File Contain a Virus? Security & Privacy Facts

Updated June 2026 · 5 min read

Short answer: WebP files themselves are not dangerous. Like JPEG, PNG, or GIF, WebP is an image format — not an executable. You can't "catch a virus" just by viewing a WebP image in your browser or photo viewer. But there's more to the story.

The 2023 WebP Zero-Day: What Actually Happened

In September 2023, Google's security team discovered CVE-2023-4863 — a critical vulnerability in libwebp, the code library that Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and many other apps use to display WebP images. A specially crafted WebP file could trigger a "heap buffer overflow" when opened, potentially allowing an attacker to execute code on your device.

This was serious. Apple, Google, and Mozilla all issued emergency patches within days. The flaw affected Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Signal, 1Password, and even some game engines — essentially any software that used libwebp to decode images.

Is It Fixed Now?

Yes. The vulnerability was patched across all major browsers and operating systems by October 2023. As long as your browser and OS are up to date (which they almost certainly are), the WebP zero-day is not a threat. This includes Chrome 117+, Firefox 118+, Safari 17+, Edge 117+, and iOS 17+.

Can WebP Files Carry Malware?

Technically, any file format can be used to hide malicious code. But there's a huge difference between "this format had a patched vulnerability" and "this format can infect you." Here's what's actually possible versus what's fear-mongering:

• Exploiting an unpatched vulnerability: Very rare, targeted attacks. Requires a specially crafted file and an unpatched system. The 2023 WebP CVE falls here — and it's already fixed.
• Disguising an executable as a .webp: A file named "photo.webp.exe" is not a WebP. It's an executable with a misleading name. This is a social engineering trick, not an image format problem.
• Embedding malicious JavaScript in an image: Browsers do not execute scripts inside image files. This is a myth for all image formats, including WebP.

Privacy Concerns: Does WebP Track You?

No. WebP is a static image container — it does not support tracking pixels, analytics tags, or any form of user surveillance. A WebP image is just compressed pixel data, the same as a JPEG or PNG. However, Google does use WebP as part of its broader ecosystem. If you download a WebP from Google Images, the file itself doesn't track you — but Google's servers logged that you visited the page. That's a website tracking issue, not an image format issue.

Should You Worry About WebP Security?

For the average person: no. The 2023 vulnerability was patched years ago. Opening WebP files — whether from Google Images, websites, or your local downloads — is as safe as opening a JPEG or PNG. The risks come from unpatched software, not from the format itself.

If you receive images from untrusted sources (unknown email attachments, sketchy download sites), the same caution applies to all image formats — not just WebP. And if you want to be extra safe, converting WebP to PNG using a browser-based converter strips any exotic metadata or encoding tricks, giving you a clean, standard PNG.