CVE-2019-8900
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 vulnerability in the SecureROM of some Apple devices can be exploited by an unauthenticated local attacker to execute arbitrary code upon booting those devices. This vulnerability allows arbitrary code to be executed on the device. Exploiting the vulnerability requires physical access to the device: the device must be plugged in to a computer upon booting, and it must be put into Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode. The exploit is not persistent; rebooting the device overrides any changes to the device's software that were made during an exploited session on the device. Additionally, unless an attacker has access to the device's unlock PIN or fingerprint, an attacker cannot gain access to information protected by Apple's Secure Enclave or Touch ID features.
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 buffer overflow vulnerability in SecureROM allows unauthenticated local attackers with physical access to execute arbitrary code during device boot by putting the device into DFU mode. The exploit is transient (non-persistent) and does not bypass Secure Enclave or Touch ID protections.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify if device contains SecureROMDetermine if the device is an Apple iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) which contains SecureROM in its write-once boot ROM. Check device model and confirm it runs iOS.Affected if The device is an Apple iOS device - SecureROM is present in all such devices and all versions are affected by this CVE.
-
Verify DFU mode capabilityConfirm the device supports DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode by attempting standard DFU entry procedure or reviewing device specifications. DFU mode is a standard feature on iOS devices.Affected if The device can enter DFU mode - DFU mode availability is required for the attack vector.
-
Assess physical access riskEvaluate whether unauthorized individuals could physically access the device to perform the DFU mode button combination sequence (Home+Power or volume+power depending on model).Affected if Physical access to the device is not strictly controlled - the attacker requires physical access to trigger DFU mode.
-
Check for device jailbreak indicatorsInspect the device for signs of prior jailbreak attempts or unauthorized modifications that may indicate DFU mode was exploited.Affected if Evidence of jailbreak or unauthorized modification is found, which may indicate this vulnerability was exploited.
If the device is an Apple iOS product with SecureROM and physical access to the device cannot be fully restricted, the environment is affected by this unpatchable vulnerability.
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 dataSince SecureROM is write-once boot ROM, this vulnerability cannot be patched via software update; physical security controls (restricted access to devices, monitoring of DFU mode usage) and potential device replacement are the primary mitigations.
- Consultation24.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA16.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $17,472.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-8900 — 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-2019-8900 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