CVE-2019-8838
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 · uneditedA memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.3 and iPadOS 13.3, watchOS 6.1.1, macOS Catalina 10.15.2, Security Update 2019-002 Mojave, and Security Update 2019-007 High Sierra, tvOS 13.3. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
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 confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in the kernel of multiple Apple operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS) that allows a local application to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges, enabling complete system compromise.
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< 13.3< 13.3< 10.15.2< 13.3< 6.1.1CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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.
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Identify your Apple operating systemDetermine whether the device runs iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS. On iOS/iPadOS: go to Settings > General > About. On macOS: click Apple menu > About This Mac. On tvOS: go to Settings > General > About. On watchOS: open the Watch app on paired iPhone > My Watch > About.Affected if The device runs any of the listed Apple operating systems.
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Check the installed iOS or iPadOS versionOn iOS/iPadOS device, go to Settings > General > About and note the Version number (for example, 13.2.x). Compare this against the affected range of versions less than 13.3.Affected if The iOS or iPadOS version is 13.2.x or lower (any version below 13.3).
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Check the installed macOS versionOn macOS, click Apple menu > About This Mac. Note the version number (for example, 10.15.1). Compare against the affected range of versions less than 10.15.2.Affected if The macOS version is 10.15.1 or lower (any version below 10.15.2).
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Check the installed watchOS versionOn paired iPhone, open the Watch app, go to My Watch > General > About, and note the watchOS version (for example, 6.1). Compare against the affected range of versions less than 6.1.1.Affected if The watchOS version is 6.1 or lower (any version below 6.1.1).
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Check the installed tvOS versionOn Apple TV, go to Settings > General > About and note the version number (for example, 13.2.x). Compare against the affected range of versions less than 13.3.Affected if The tvOS version is 13.2.x or lower (any version below 13.3).
A device is affected if it runs any of these Apple OS versions: iOS/iPadOS below 13.3, macOS below 10.15.2, watchOS below 6.1.1, or tvOS below 13.3.
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 data6.1.110.15.213.3
Apply the appropriate Apple security update for the affected product: iOS 13.3/iPadOS 13.3, watchOS 6.1.1, macOS Catalina 10.15.2, Security Update 2019-002 Mojave, Security Update 2019-007 High Sierra, or tvOS 13.3.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-8838 — 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-2019-8838 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
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