dbcve.org
ShortcutsApplication · Apple

CVE-2019-7290

CRITICAL · 10.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-12-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.1.3 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in Shortcuts 2.1.3 for iOS. A sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions.

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 · moderate confidence

This is a sandbox escape vulnerability in Apple's Shortcuts app for iOS (versions prior to 2.1.3). A flaw allowed a sandboxed Shortcuts process to circumvent iOS sandbox restrictions, potentially enabling a malicious shortcut to access resources outside its intended permission boundaries.

MitigationUpdate the Shortcuts app to version 2.1.3 or later on affected iOS devices. Organizations should ensure all managed iOS devices have the latest iOS and app updates deployed via MDM.

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
ShortcutsApplication
Affected:< 2.1.3

CVSS 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
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if Shortcuts app is installed
    On the iOS device, navigate to the home screen and locate the Shortcuts app (purple icon with white shortcut symbol). Alternatively, check via Settings > General > iPhone Storage or through MDM software to list installed apps.
    Affected if The Shortcuts app is present on the device.
  2. Identify the Shortcuts app version
    Open the Shortcuts app, tap the clock icon (Library), then tap the settings gear icon in the top right. The version number appears below the app name. Alternatively, check via iOS Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Shortcuts, or via MDM inventory tools.
    Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 2.1.3 (for example, 2.1.2, 2.1.1, 2.0.x, etc.).
  3. Verify iOS version as context
    Check the iOS version by going to Settings > General > About > iOS Version. Note that some older iOS versions may limit app update availability.
    Affected if The device is running an iOS version that may restrict access to Shortcuts updates.
  4. Review shortcut usage and permissions
    Check if any shortcuts with potentially suspicious actions (such as 'Run Shell Script', 'Open URL', 'Get Contents of URL', 'Read File', or 'Get Variable') have been imported or run on the device. Review the Shortcuts Gallery and any custom shortcuts in the Library.
    Affected if Unknown or untrusted shortcuts have been imported and executed, increasing the potential attack surface.

A device is affected if the Shortcuts app version is installed and is lower than 2.1.3, allowing a malicious shortcut to potentially bypass sandbox restrictions.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.1.3 or later
Fixed in 2.1.3
Interim mitigation

Update the Shortcuts app to version 2.1.3 or later on affected iOS devices. Organizations should ensure all managed iOS devices have the latest iOS and app updates deployed via MDM.

Recommended fix High confidence

Shortcuts 2.1.3 for iOS

  1. Open the App Store on your iOS device
  2. Tap on the Updates tab in the bottom navigation
  3. Locate Shortcuts in the list of available updates
  4. Tap Update next to Shortcuts to install version 2.1.3 or later
  5. Alternatively, go to the App Store search, search for Shortcuts, and tap Update if an update is available

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Shortcuts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-7290 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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