dbcve.org
IcloudApplication · Apple

CVE-2020-36521

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-09-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.0 / 7.21 or later.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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
An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in iCloud for Windows 11.4, iOS 14.0 and iPadOS 14.0, watchOS 7.0, tvOS 14.0, iCloud for Windows 7.21, iTunes for Windows 12.10.9. Processing a maliciously crafted tiff file may lead to a denial-of-service or potentially disclose memory contents.

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

Out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Apple's TIFF file parser. Processing a maliciously crafted TIFF file allows reading memory outside allocated buffer bounds, potentially leading to denial-of-service (crash) or disclosure of sensitive memory contents.

MitigationUpdate to the fixed versions: iOS/iPadOS 14.0+, watchOS 7.0+, tvOS 14.0+, iCloud for Windows 7.21/11.4+, or iTunes 12.10.9+. Avoid opening untrusted TIFF files until patched.

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
IcloudApplication
Affected:< 7.21>= 11.0, < 11.4
ItunesApplication
Affected:< 12.10.9
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 14.0
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 14.0
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 10.15.7
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 14.0
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 7.0

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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify installed Apple products
    Check which Apple applications are installed on the system: iCloud (Windows app or system app), iTunes, or the operating system version (iOS/iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS)
    Affected if Any of the following products are present: iCloud, iTunes, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS
  2. Check iCloud version on Windows
    Open Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, find Apple iCloud, and note the version number
    Affected if Version is less than 7.21, or version is 11.0 through 11.4 (11.x less than 11.4)
  3. Check iTunes version
    Open iTunes > Help > About iTunes, or check Programs and Features in Windows Control Panel for the iTunes version
    Affected if Version is less than 12.10.9
  4. Check iOS/iPadOS version
    On the device, go to Settings > General > About > Version
    Affected if Version is less than 14.0
  5. Check macOS version
    Click Apple menu > About This Mac > Version number displayed
    Affected if Version is less than 10.15.7
  6. Check tvOS or watchOS version
    On Apple TV: Settings > General > About > Version. On Apple Watch: Open the Watch app on iPhone > General > About
    Affected if tvOS version is less than 14.0, or watchOS version is less than 7.0

The environment is affected if any Apple product listed above is installed and its version falls within the vulnerable ranges specified.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.0 / 7.21 / 10.15.7 or later
Fixed in 7.07.2110.15.7
Interim mitigation

Update to the fixed versions: iOS/iPadOS 14.0+, watchOS 7.0+, tvOS 14.0+, iCloud for Windows 7.21/11.4+, or iTunes 12.10.9+. Avoid opening untrusted TIFF files until patched.

Recommended fix High confidence

iCloud Windows 7.21+ or 11.4+; iTunes Windows 12.10.9+; iOS/iPadOS 14.0+; macOS 10.15.7+; tvOS 14.0+; watchOS 7.0+

  1. Identify all affected Apple products in your environment (iCloud for Windows, iTunes for Windows, iPadOS, iPhone OS/iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS)
  2. For iCloud for Windows: upgrade to version 7.21 or later, OR upgrade to version 11.4 or later
  3. For iTunes for Windows: upgrade to version 12.10.9 or later
  4. For iPadOS devices: upgrade to iPadOS 14.0 or later
  5. For iPhone/iOS devices: upgrade to iOS 14.0 or later
  6. For macOS devices: upgrade to macOS 10.15.7 (Catalina) or later
  7. For Apple TV devices: upgrade to tvOS 14.0 or later
  8. For Apple Watch devices: upgrade to watchOS 7.0 or later
Caveat Security updates typically have minimal compatibility impact; ensure backups exist before updating

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Icloud Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,280
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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-2020-36521 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