dbcve.org
SwiftApplication · Apple

CVE-2019-8790

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-10-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.1.1 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
This issue was addresses by updating incorrect URLSession file descriptors management logic to match Swift 5.0. This issue is fixed in Swift 5.1.1 for Ubuntu. Incorrect management of file descriptors in URLSession could lead to inadvertent data disclosure.

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

In Swift's URLSession implementation on Ubuntu, the file descriptor management logic was incorrect and did not align with Swift 5.0 expectations. This improper handling could cause file descriptors to not be properly closed or to leak data to unintended contexts, resulting in inadvertent data disclosure.

MitigationUpgrade Swift to version 5.1.1 or later on Ubuntu systems where URLSession is used, as this version corrects the file descriptor management logic.

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
SwiftApplication
Affected:< 5.1.1

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checks

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

  1. Verify operating system is Ubuntu
    Run 'uname -a' or check '/etc/os-release' to confirm the system is Ubuntu. This vulnerability only affects Swift on Ubuntu systems.
    Affected if System is not Ubuntu - the vulnerability only applies to Ubuntu environments
  2. Check installed Swift version
    Run 'swift --version' to obtain the installed Swift version number.
    Affected if Swift version is 5.1.1 or later - versions below 5.1.1 are affected
  3. Identify URLSession usage in codebase
    Search for 'URLSession' imports and usage in source code files, typically found via 'grep -r "URLSession" .' in project directories.
    Affected if URLSession is used in the codebase - the vulnerability exists in the URLSession implementation

A system is affected if it is running Ubuntu with Swift version less than 5.1.1 and the codebase uses URLSession for network requests.

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 5.1.1 or later
Fixed in 5.1.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Swift to version 5.1.1 or later on Ubuntu systems where URLSession is used, as this version corrects the file descriptor management logic.

Fix this in Swift Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.

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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-2019-8790 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