CVE-2019-8542
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 · uneditedA buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.2, macOS Mojave 10.14.4, tvOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, iTunes 12.9.4 for Windows, iCloud for Windows 7.11. A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges.
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 buffer overflow vulnerability in Apple's operating systems (iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iTunes, and iCloud for Windows) that allows a malicious local application to elevate privileges to root or kernel level. The vulnerability was addressed with improved bounds checking in the affected versions.
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< 7.11< 12.9.4< 12.2< 10.14.4< 12.2< 5.2CVSS 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:3.1/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.
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Identify installed Apple productsOn the system, enumerate installed Apple software: iTunes (Check Start Menu or Programs), iCloud for Windows (Check Programs and Features), or note the device type (iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch)Affected if Any Apple product from the affected list is installed
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Check macOS versionOn Mac: Click Apple menu > About This Mac, or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if macOS version is earlier than 10.14.4
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Check iOS versionOn iPhone/iPad: Settings > General > About > VersionAffected if iOS version is earlier than 12.2
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Check iTunes for Windows versionOpen iTunes > Help > About iTunes, or check Programs and Features in Control PanelAffected if iTunes version is earlier than 12.9.4
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Check iCloud for Windows versionOpen iCloud > About iCloud, or check Programs and Features in Control PanelAffected if iCloud for Windows version is earlier than 7.11
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Check tvOS or watchOS versionOn Apple TV: Settings > General > About > Version. On Apple Watch: Open Watch app on iPhone > General > AboutAffected if tvOS is earlier than 12.2 or watchOS is earlier than 5.2
A system is affected if any Apple product listed is installed and its version falls below the specified threshold (iCloud < 7.11, iTunes < 12.9.4, iOS < 12.2, macOS < 10.14.4, tvOS < 12.2, watchOS < 5.2).
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 data5.27.1110.14.4
Apply the available security updates for all affected Apple products: iOS 12.2+, macOS Mojave 10.14.4+, tvOS 12.2+, watchOS 5.2+, iTunes 12.9.4+ for Windows, and iCloud for Windows 7.11+. Ensure systems are patched before deploying any untrusted applications.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-8542 — 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-2019-8542 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