CVE-2019-8549
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 · uneditedMultiple input validation issues existed in MIG generated code. These issues were addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.2, macOS Mojave 10.14.4, tvOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2. A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with system 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 confidenceThis vulnerability exists in MIG (Mach Interface Generator) generated code, which handles inter-process communication in Apple's kernel subsystems. Multiple input validation flaws allowed a malicious local application to bypass security boundaries and execute arbitrary code with system (kernel-level) privileges. This represents a privilege escalation vulnerability in core OS IPC mechanisms.
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< 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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Check iOS versionOn the iOS device, go to Settings > General > About and note the version number, or use the 'sw_vers' command via SSH/terminal if availableAffected if Version is below 12.2 (e.g., 12.1.x, 12.0.x, or any 11.x release)
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Check macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal, or click Apple menu > About This MacAffected if Version is below 10.14.4 (e.g., 10.14.3, 10.14.2, or any 10.13.x/10.12.x release)
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Check tvOS versionOn the Apple TV, go to Settings > General > About > Version, or use the 'sw_vers' command via SSH if availableAffected if Version is below 12.2 (e.g., 12.1.x, 12.0.x, or any 11.x release)
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Check watchOS versionOn the Apple Watch, open the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > About, or check on the watch via Settings > AboutAffected if Version is below 5.2 (e.g., 5.1.x, 5.0.x, or any 4.x release)
If the device runs any iOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS version below the thresholds (12.2, 10.14.4, 12.2, 5.2 respectively), the MIG IPC vulnerability is present and could allow a local malicious application to escalate privileges to kernel level.
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 data5.210.14.412.2
Apply the vendor-supplied OS updates: iOS 12.2 or later, macOS Mojave 10.14.4 or later, tvOS 12.2 or later, or watchOS 5.2 or later. Deploy via MDM or manual software update to all affected devices.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-8549 — 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-2019-8549 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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- 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
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