CVE-2019-8765
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 · uneditedMultiple memory corruption issues were addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in watchOS 6.1. 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 confidenceA memory corruption vulnerability in WebKit (the browser engine used in watchOS) allows processing of maliciously crafted web content to trigger arbitrary code execution. This is due to improper memory handling that was addressed with improved memory management in the fix.
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< 6.1CVSS 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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check watchOS version on Apple WatchOpen the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > About, or on Apple Watch go to Settings > General > About to see the watchOS version numberAffected if watchOS version is below 6.1 (for example, 6.0.1, 6.0, 5.x, etc.)
-
Verify Safari/WebKit is accessible on the watchConfirm that Safari is enabled on the Apple Watch by checking the Watch app on iPhone under the Safari section in the watch face settings, or by attempting to open a link on the watchAffected if Safari is enabled and usable on the Apple Watch (this is the default state and required for exploitation)
-
Identify if untrusted web content can be processedDetermine if the Apple Watch user visits websites or clicks links through Safari, Mail links, or third-party apps that render web content using WebKitAffected if The user processes web content through Safari or any app that embeds WebKit on the watch
The Apple Watch is affected if it is running any watchOS version prior to 6.1 and has Safari or WebKit-based web content rendering enabled, which allows processing of malicious web content to trigger the memory corruption.
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 data6.1
Update affected Apple Watch devices to watchOS 6.1 or later. Avoid visiting untrusted websites on the Apple Watch until the patch is applied.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-8765 — 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-2019-8765 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
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.
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.
- 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