CVE-2019-8631
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 logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Mojave 10.14.5, Security Update 2019-003 High Sierra, Security Update 2019-003 Sierra, iOS 12.3, tvOS 12.3. Users removed from an iMessage conversation may still be able to alter state.
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 confidenceA logic flaw in iMessage allowed users who were removed from a conversation to still modify conversation state due to improper state management. This authorization bypass permitted former participants to alter iMessage thread state after removal.
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< 12.3< 10.14.5< 12.3CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
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/iPadGo to Settings > General > About > Version, or run 'sw_vers' in terminal, or check via Apple Configurator or MDMAffected if iOS version is below 12.3 and iMessage is enabled
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Check macOS version on MacGo to Apple menu > About This Mac > Version, or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if macOS version is below 10.14.5 and iMessage is signed in
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Check tvOS version on Apple TVGo to Settings > General > About > Version, or check via Xcode or device management toolAffected if tvOS version is below 12.3 and iMessage is configured (via Messages in iCloud)
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Verify iMessage is activeOn iOS: Open Messages app and check for existing conversations. On macOS: Open Messages app and verify account is signed in. On tvOS: Check if Messages in iCloud is enabled in Settings > Accounts.Affected if iMessage is enabled/active on the device
A user is affected if they are running a vulnerable OS version (iOS < 12.3, macOS < 10.14.5, or tvOS < 12.3) AND iMessage is enabled, allowing removed participants to potentially modify conversation state.
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 data10.14.512.3
Apply the relevant Apple security updates: macOS Mojave 10.14.5, Security Update 2019-003 for High Sierra/Sierra, iOS 12.3, or tvOS 12.3 depending on affected platform.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-8631 — 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-2019-8631 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data