dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2019-8749

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-10-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.0 / 7.14 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15, iOS 13, iCloud for Windows 7.14, iCloud for Windows 10.7, tvOS 13, macOS Catalina 10.15.1, Security Update 2019-001, and Security Update 2019-006, watchOS 6, iTunes 12.10.1 for Windows. Multiple issues in libxml2.

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 confidence

Memory corruption vulnerabilities in libxml2 (XML parsing library) due to insufficient input validation. Attackers could potentially achieve remote code execution by supplying maliciously crafted XML content to be parsed by vulnerable versions of libxml2.

MitigationApply the relevant security updates for the affected Apple products (macOS, iOS, iCloud, tvOS, watchOS, iTunes) as listed in the official advisory.

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:< 13.0.1
IcloudApplication
Affected:< 7.14>= 10.0, < 10.7
ItunesApplication
Affected:< 12.10.1
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 13.0
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 13
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 6.0

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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 installed Apple products that use libxml2
    Review installed applications: check Safari (Mac/Windows), iTunes (Windows), iCloud for Windows, and note iOS/tvOS/watchOS devices connected to the system
    Affected if Any of Safari < 13.0.1, iTunes < 12.10.1, iCloud < 7.14 or >= 10.0 to < 10.7, iOS < 13.0, tvOS < 13, or watchOS < 6.0 are present
  2. Check Safari version
    On Mac: open Safari and go to Safari > About Safari. On Windows: open iTunes first, then Safari > Help > About Safari, or check the file version of Safari.exe in the installation folder
    Affected if Version displayed is earlier than 13.0.1
  3. Check iTunes version
    Open iTunes and go to Help > About iTunes, or check the file version of iTunes.exe in Program Files (Windows)
    Affected if Version displayed is earlier than 12.10.1
  4. Check iCloud for Windows version
    Open iCloud for Windows, click the gear icon and select About, or view the version in Windows Programs and Features list
    Affected if Version is earlier than 7.14, or falls in the range 10.0 to 10.7 (inclusive)
  5. Determine XML parsing exposure
    Assess whether any detected vulnerable Apple applications are used to open or process untrusted XML content from external sources
    Affected if Vulnerable product versions are installed AND the application routinely parses XML from websites, documents, or network sources

You are affected if any vulnerable Apple product (Safari, iTunes, iCloud for Windows, or iOS/tvOS/watchOS devices) with a version below the specified threshold is installed and processes XML content.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.0 / 7.14 / 10.7 or later
Fixed in 6.07.1410.7
Interim mitigation

Apply the relevant security updates for the affected Apple products (macOS, iOS, iCloud, tvOS, watchOS, iTunes) as listed in the official advisory.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 13+, macOS Catalina 10.15.1+, tvOS 13+, watchOS 6+, Safari 13.0.1+, iCloud Windows 7.14/10.7+, iTunes Windows 12.10.1+

  1. For iOS devices (iPhone): Upgrade to iOS 13.0 or later via Settings > General > Software Update
  2. For macOS Catalina: Upgrade to macOS Catalina 10.15.1 or apply Security Update 2019-001/Security Update 2019-006 via System Preferences > Software Update
  3. For tvOS devices: Upgrade to tvOS 13 or later
  4. For Apple Watch: Upgrade to watchOS 6 or later via the Watch app on iPhone
  5. For Safari: Upgrade to Safari 13.0.1 or later (included with macOS updates)
  6. For iCloud for Windows: Upgrade to version 7.14 (if using iCloud 7.x) or version 10.7 (if using iCloud 10.x)
  7. For iTunes on Windows: Upgrade to iTunes 12.10.1 for Windows
Caveat Major OS version upgrades may have app compatibility implications; test critical applications before deploying broadly

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

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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-2019-8749 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