CVE-2017-2441
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3 is affected. macOS before 10.12.4 is affected. tvOS before 10.2 is affected. watchOS before 3.2 is affected. The issue involves the "libc++abi" component. A use-after-free vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted C++ app that is mishandled during demangling.
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 confidenceA use-after-free vulnerability in the libc++abi component's symbol demangling functionality allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting a malicious C++ application that triggers the vulnerability during name demangling. The flaw exists in how the demangling process handles certain crafted C++ symbol names, leading to memory corruption.
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<= 10.2.1<= 10.12.3<= 10.1.1<= 3.1.3CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
-
Identify your Apple device operating system versionOn iOS: Settings > General > About > Version. On macOS: Apple menu > About This Mac > Version. On tvOS: Settings > General > About > Version. On watchOS: On iPhone, open Watch app > My Watch > General > About > VersionAffected if The displayed version is 10.2.1 or earlier for iOS, 10.12.3 or earlier for macOS, 10.1.1 or earlier for tvOS, or 3.1.3 or earlier for watchOS
-
Confirm libc++abi library presenceThe libc++abi library is a core component of the C++ standard library. On macOS, you can run 'ls -la /usr/lib/libc++*' to list the library files. On iOS, this library is bundled within the system and not directly accessible without jailbreakingAffected if The library exists on the system (which is default for all affected Apple OS installations)
-
Determine exposure to untrusted C++ applicationsReview any third-party C++ applications, custom-built binaries, or software from untrusted sources that have been run on the device. The vulnerability is triggered specifically during C++ symbol name demangling when processing crafted malicious symbol namesAffected if Untrusted or malicious C++ applications have been executed on the device
Your device is affected if it runs iOS 10.2.1 or earlier, macOS 10.12.3 or earlier, tvOS 10.1.1 or earlier, or watchOS 3.1.3 or earlier, and has executed untrusted C++ code that could trigger the demangling vulnerability.
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.
From vendor dataUpdate all affected Apple devices to iOS 10.3+, macOS 10.12.4+, tvOS 10.2+, or watchOS 3.2+ to obtain the patched libc++abi library. No configuration-based workarounds exist for this low-level library vulnerability.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,928.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-2441 — 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-2017-2441 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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