CVE-2019-8788
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 issue existed in the parsing of URLs. This issue was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.2 and iPadOS 13.2, macOS Catalina 10.15.1. Improper URL processing may lead to data exfiltration.
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 confidenceA vulnerability in URL parsing logic in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS allowed improper URL processing that could lead to data exfiltration. The issue was addressed through improved input validation in versions iOS 13.2, iPadOS 13.2, and macOS Catalina 10.15.1.
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< 13.2< 13.2< 10.15.1CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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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Identify the operating systemDetermine if the device is running iOS, iPadOS, or macOS. On iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > General > About. On macOS, click the Apple menu and select About This Mac.Affected if The device runs Apple iOS, iPadOS, or macOS with a version lower than the fixed releases
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Check iOS or iPadOS versionOn iOS or iPadOS, go to Settings > General > About and note the Version number (e.g., 13.1.2). Compare this to the affected range of versions less than 13.2.Affected if The installed iOS or iPadOS version is lower than 13.2 (for example, 13.1, 13.0, 12.x)
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Check macOS versionOn macOS, click the Apple menu > About This Mac and note the version number displayed (e.g., 10.15.0). Compare this to the affected range of versions less than 10.15.1.Affected if The installed macOS version is lower than 10.15.1 (for example, 10.15.0, 10.14.x)
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Confirm URL handling is in useThe vulnerability exists in URL parsing logic system-wide. Any application or feature that processes URLs could trigger the affected code path. There is no specific configuration toggle to disable this component.Affected if The device runs a vulnerable OS version and processes URLs through any native application (Mail, Safari, Messages, or other apps with URL handling)
A user is affected if their device runs iOS, iPadOS, or macOS versions below the fixed releases (13.2 for iOS/iPadOS, 10.15.1 for macOS).
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 data10.15.113.2
Update affected Apple devices to iOS 13.2 or later, iPadOS 13.2 or later, or macOS Catalina 10.15.1 or later to remediate this vulnerability.
- 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-2019-8788 — 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-2019-8788 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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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