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SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2019-8688

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-12-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.13 / 10.6 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.4, macOS Mojave 10.14.6, tvOS 12.4, watchOS 5.3, Safari 12.1.2, iTunes for Windows 12.9.6, iCloud for Windows 7.13, iCloud for Windows 10.6. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.

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 confidence

This is a WebKit memory corruption vulnerability allowing arbitrary code execution through maliciously crafted web content. It affects iOS, macOS, Safari, tvOS, watchOS, and Windows applications with WebKit components. The vulnerability stems from improper memory handling that can be exploited to achieve code execution context.

MitigationDeploy the vendor-supplied security updates (iOS 12.4+, macOS Mojave 10.14.6+, Safari 12.1.2+, tvOS 12.4+, watchOS 5.3+, iTunes/iCloud Windows versions listed) to all affected systems, or enable automatic security updates where available.

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
SafariWeb browser
Affected:< 12.1.2
Enterprise Linux DesktopOperating system
Affected:= 7.0
Enterprise Linux ServerOperating system
Affected:= 7.0
Enterprise Linux WorkstationOperating system
Affected:= 7.0
IcloudApplication
Affected:< 7.13>= 10.0, < 10.6
ItunesApplication
Affected:< 12.9.6
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 12.4
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:< 10.14.6

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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify WebKit-based applications
    Check installed applications for WebKit browsers (Safari) or applications embedding WebKit (iTunes, iCloud for Windows). On Linux, check for webkit2gtk or webkit packages installed via package manager (rpm -qa | grep -i webkit or dpkg -l | grep -i webkit).
    Affected if Any WebKit-based application from the affected product list is installed and the version falls below the fixed versions.
  2. Check Safari version on macOS
    Open Safari, go to Safari menu > About Safari, or run: /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari -version. Compare the version number to 12.1.2.
    Affected if Safari version is lower than 12.1.2 on macOS.
  3. Check macOS version
    Click Apple menu > About This Mac. The version appears below the macOS name. Compare to 10.14.6.
    Affected if macOS version is lower than 10.14.6 and Safari is used.
  4. Check iTunes version on Windows or macOS
    Open iTunes, go to Help > About iTunes. Compare version to 12.9.6, or check installed version via Programs and Features control panel on Windows.
    Affected if iTunes version is lower than 12.9.6.
  5. Check iCloud for Windows version
    Open iCloud, look for version information in About or check via Windows Programs and Features. Affected ranges are versions < 7.13 or >= 10.0 and < 10.6.
    Affected if iCloud for Windows version is < 7.13 or >= 10.0 and < 10.6.

The environment is affected if any WebKit-based application (Safari, iTunes, iCloud for Windows) or macOS/iOS version listed is installed and falls below the specified fixed version numbers, since the vulnerability can be triggered through malicious web content loaded in WebKit.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.13 / 10.6 / 10.14.6 or later
Fixed in 7.1310.610.14.6
Interim mitigation

Deploy the vendor-supplied security updates (iOS 12.4+, macOS Mojave 10.14.6+, Safari 12.1.2+, tvOS 12.4+, watchOS 5.3+, iTunes/iCloud Windows versions listed) to all affected systems, or enable automatic security updates where available.

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2019-8688 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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