dbcve.org
XcodeApplication · Apple

CVE-2019-8722

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-12-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.0 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 issues in ld64 in the Xcode toolchains were addressed by updating to version ld64-507.4. This issue is fixed in Xcode 11.0. Compiling code without proper input validation could lead to arbitrary code execution with user privilege.

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

A vulnerability in ld64 (the macOS/iOS linker) in Xcode versions prior to 11.0 allows arbitrary code execution during the compilation process due to improper input validation. An attacker could exploit this by tricking a user into compiling specially crafted code, executing code with the user's privileges.

MitigationUpdate to Xcode 11.0 or later which contains the patched ld64-507.4 version. Additionally, only compile code from trusted sources to avoid malicious input.

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
XcodeApplication
Affected:< 11.0

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. Verify Xcode is installed
    Open Terminal and run: xcode-select -p or ls /Applications/ | grep -i xcode
    Affected if Xcode is not installed on the system
  2. Determine installed Xcode version
    Run: xcodebuild -version or open Xcode and check About Xcode menu
    Affected if Version shown is below 11.0 (e.g., 10.x, 9.x, etc.)
  3. Check ld64 linker version as secondary verification
    Run: ld -v or locate ld64 and run: /path/to/ld64 -v
    Affected if ld64 version is below 507.4
  4. Verify Xcode path points to affected binary
    Run: xcode-select -p to get Xcode developer directory, then check: ls $(xcode-select -p)/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/ld
    Affected if The ld binary exists and originates from a pre-11.0 Xcode installation

A user is affected if their installed Xcode version is below 11.0, which contains the vulnerable ld64 linker that can execute arbitrary code during compilation of malicious input.

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 11.0 or later
Fixed in 11.0
Interim mitigation

Update to Xcode 11.0 or later which contains the patched ld64-507.4 version. Additionally, only compile code from trusted sources to avoid malicious input.

Fix this in Xcode Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.

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-2019-8722 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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