dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2021-1838

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.4 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
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
This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4. Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to 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 · moderate confidence

A vulnerability in iOS/iPadOS image processing allows arbitrary code execution when processing a maliciously crafted image. The issue was addressed with improved input validation checks, suggesting it was likely a memory corruption vulnerability (such as a buffer overflow) in the image parsing subsystem.

MitigationApply iOS/iPadOS 14.4 or later updates. For applications, ensure image inputs are validated before processing and consider sandboxing image processing operations.

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
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 14.4
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 14.4

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check iOS/iPadOS version installed on the device
    Navigate to Settings > General > About on the iOS/iPadOS device and locate the version number field
    Affected if The version listed is less than 14.4 (for example, 14.3, 14.2, 14.1, 14.0, or any 13.x version)
  2. Confirm the iPadOS or iOS variant
    In the same About screen, check the model name or go to Settings > General > About > Model Name to confirm whether the device is an iPad (iPadOS) or iPhone (iOS)
    Affected if The device runs iPadOS or iOS and the version is below 14.4 regardless of variant
  3. Verify image processing is accessible on the device
    Confirm the device has the ability to process images through any built-in application such as Photos, Safari, or third-party apps that handle image files
    Affected if The device can process image files and runs an affected iOS/iPadOS version below 14.4 (the vulnerability is triggered when a malicious image is processed by the OS)
  4. Check if the device has not been patched via MDM or carrier update
    If the device is managed, check with your MDM solution or carrier for any pending iOS/iPadOS updates that may not have been installed
    Affected if A pending update exists and the current installed version remains below 14.4

A device is affected if it runs any version of iOS or iPadOS earlier than 14.4, as the memory corruption vulnerability in the image processing subsystem can be triggered by processing a maliciously crafted image.

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 14.4 or later
Fixed in 14.4
Interim mitigation

Apply iOS/iPadOS 14.4 or later updates. For applications, ensure image inputs are validated before processing and consider sandboxing image processing operations.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 14.4 / iPadOS 14.4

  1. Back up your iPhone or iPad using iCloud or iTunes/Finder before updating
  2. Ensure your device is connected to Wi-Fi and plugged into power
  3. Go to Settings > General > Software Update on your device
  4. Download and install iOS 14.4 (for iPhone) or iPadOS 14.4 (for iPad) when prompted
  5. Restart your device if prompted to complete the installation
  6. Verify the update was successful by checking Settings > General > About > Version shows 14.4
Caveat Review Apple's release notes for iOS 14.4 for any feature changes or known issues before updating; ensure your device is compatible with iOS 14.4

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2021-1838 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