CVE-2019-8664
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 input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.3, watchOS 5.2.1. Processing a maliciously crafted message may lead to a denial of service.
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 confidenceThis is an input validation vulnerability in iOS 12.3 and watchOS 5.2.1 where processing a maliciously crafted message triggers a denial of service condition. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation when handling messages, allowing specially crafted content to cause the affected service to become unavailable.
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< 5.2.1CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 version on iPhoneOn the iPhone, go to Settings > General > About > Version. Note the version number displayed (e.g., 12.2.1, 12.3, 12.4).Affected if The version displayed is less than 12.3 (for example, 12.2.x or earlier).
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Check watchOS version on Apple WatchOpen the Watch app on the paired iPhone, go to General > About > Version. Alternatively, on Apple Watch go to Settings > General > About > Version. Note the version number displayed.Affected if The version displayed is less than 5.2.1 (for example, 5.2.0, 5.1.x or earlier).
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Confirm message processing exposureDetermine whether the device regularly receives messages from untrusted or unknown sources, as the vulnerability is triggered by processing a maliciously crafted message.Affected if The device processes messages from potentially untrusted sources and is running a version below the fixed releases.
A user is affected if their iPhone runs iOS versions earlier than 12.3 or their Apple Watch runs watchOS versions earlier than 5.2.1, as these are the versions that contain the fix for the input validation vulnerability in message handling.
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 data5.2.112.3
Apply the vendor-supplied updates: upgrade to iOS 12.3 or later, and watchOS 5.2.1 or later. In enterprise environments, test updates on representative devices before broad deployment to ensure compatibility with existing workflows.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2019-8664 — 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-2019-8664 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