CVE-2021-1745
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 out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.2, Security Update 2021-001 Catalina, Security Update 2021-001 Mojave, iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4. Processing a maliciously crafted USD file may lead to unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution.
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 confidenceA vulnerability in Apple's USD (Universal Scene Description) file parsing component allows an out-of-bounds read when processing a maliciously crafted USD file. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation during file processing, which can be exploited to trigger application termination or achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the application processing the file.
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< 14.4< 14.4>= 10.14, < 10.14.6>= 10.15, < 10.15.7= 10.14.6= 10.15.7>= 11.0.1, < 11.2CVSS 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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Check macOS version on Mac systemsRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or check System Preferences > AboutAffected if Version is 10.14.x before 10.14.6, 10.15.x before 10.15.7, or between 11.0.1 and 11.1.x (versions below 10.14.6, 10.15.7, or 11.2)
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Check iOS or iPadOS version on mobile devicesOpen Settings > General > About on the deviceAffected if Version is below 14.4 (any iOS/iPadOS version earlier than 14.4)
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Identify if USD file processing capability existsUSD parsing is a built-in component of macOS/iOS - no enable toggle needed. Check for presence of USD-related system frameworks or tools (e.g., /System/Library/Frameworks/USD.framework on macOS)Affected if The system has USD parsing capabilities and runs an affected OS version
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Confirm exposure to untrusted USD filesReview whether the system or any installed applications process USD files (3D scene description files). Check for recent imports of USD files from external or untrusted sources.Affected if The system processes USD files from untrusted sources while running an affected OS version
A system is affected if it runs macOS versions 10.14.x (<10.14.6), 10.15.x (<10.15.7), or 11.0.1-11.1.x, or iOS/iPadOS versions below 14.4, AND has the ability to parse USD files.
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 data10.14.610.15.711.2
Apply the relevant security updates: macOS Big Sur 11.2, Security Update 2021-001 for Catalina/Mojave, or iOS/iPadOS 14.4. Until patched, avoid opening USD files from untrusted sources.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-1745 — 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-2021-1745 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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- 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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