CVE-2012-0621
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedWebKit, as used in Apple iOS before 5.1 and iTunes before 10.6, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted web site, a different vulnerability than other WebKit CVEs listed in APPLE-SA-2012-03-07-1 and APPLE-SA-2012-03-07-2.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in WebKit rendering engine, as used in Apple iOS before 5.1 and iTunes before 10.6, allows remote code execution via maliciously crafted web pages. Attackers can exploit this to run arbitrary code or crash the application.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 5.1< 10.6CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check iOS version on iPhone or iPadGo to Settings > General > About > Version on the iOS deviceAffected if The version shown is less than 5.1 (for example, 5.0.x, 4.x, etc.)
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Check iTunes version on Windows or MacOpen iTunes and go to Help > About iTunes (or iTunes > About iTunes on Mac). The version number is displayed in the window that opens.Affected if The version shown is less than 10.6 (for example, 10.5.x, 10.4.x, etc.)
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Identify if WebKit-based browsing is usedOn iOS, Safari uses WebKit. Check if Safari or any WebKit-based third-party browser is installed and used.Affected if Safari or a WebKit-based browser is used on an iOS device running a version below 5.1, or iTunes with iTunes Store browsing is used on a version below 10.6
You are affected if iOS is below version 5.1 or iTunes is below version 10.6, and you use WebKit-based browsing (Safari on iOS or iTunes Store) on the vulnerable version.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped5.110.6
Update affected devices to iOS 5.1 or later and iTunes 10.6 or later to obtain vendor patches. Until patched, avoid browsing untrusted websites.
iOS 5.1 or later; iTunes 10.6 or later (preferably latest available for your OS)
- 1. For iOS devices: Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update to check for available iOS updates. Upgrade to iOS 5.1 or later (note: only devices supporting iOS 5.1 can upgrade; newer iOS versions include additional security fixes)
- 2. For iTunes: Open iTunes, then go to Help > Check for Updates. Upgrade to iTunes 10.6 or later (or use the latest available version for your operating system)
- 3. After upgrading, verify the WebKit version includes the security fix by checking the iOS/iTunes version information
- 4. As a temporary mitigation before patching, avoid visiting untrusted or unknown websites in Safari (iOS) or the iTunes Store browsing features
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-0621 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-0621 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data