dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2021-1885

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.4 / 11.3 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
An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.3, iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, tvOS 14.5. 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 · high confidence

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the image processing components (likely CoreGraphics or ImageIO frameworks) of macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Processing a maliciously crafted image allows reading memory beyond allocated buffers, which can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution. The fix implemented improved bounds checking during image parsing.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security updates: macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later, iOS/iPadOS 14.5 or later, watchOS 7.4 or later, tvOS 14.5 or later. Avoid processing untrusted images from unknown sources until patches are applied.

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:< 14.5
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 14.5
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 11.0, < 11.3
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 14.5
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 7.4

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. Identify the operating system and version
    Run 'sw_vers' on macOS, or check Settings > General > About on iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/tvOS. Record the exact version number.
    Affected if The OS is macOS 11.0 through 11.2.x, iOS/iPadOS below 14.5, watchOS below 7.4, or tvOS below 14.5
  2. Confirm the platform is in the affected product list
    Determine if the system is one of: macOS (Big Sur), iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, or tvOS.
    Affected if The platform matches any of these Apple operating systems and meets the version criteria in step 1
  3. Verify the ImageIO or CoreGraphics component is present
    On macOS, these frameworks are included by default in the system. No manual verification needed for standard macOS installations.
    Affected if The system runs a standard installation of the affected macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, or tvOS versions (these frameworks are present by default)
  4. Review recent security update status
    Check if the system has received security updates after the fixed versions (macOS 11.3+, iOS/iPadOS 14.5+, watchOS 7.4+, tvOS 14.5+). On macOS, check System Preferences > Software Update. On iOS devices, check Settings > General > Software Update.
    Affected if The system shows no available updates but is running a version in the affected range, indicating the patch has not been applied

If the system runs macOS 11.0-11.2.x, iOS/iPadOS below 14.5, watchOS below 7.4, or tvOS below 14.5 and has not been updated, the ImageIO/CoreGraphics component is vulnerable to out-of-bounds read when processing crafted images.

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 7.4 / 11.3 / 14.5 or later
Fixed in 7.411.314.5
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied security updates: macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later, iOS/iPadOS 14.5 or later, watchOS 7.4 or later, tvOS 14.5 or later. Avoid processing untrusted images from unknown sources until patches are applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, macOS 11.3, watchOS 7.4, tvOS 14.5 (select based on your device)

  1. Check your current device OS version in Settings > General > About (iOS/iPadOS) or System Preferences > About (macOS)
  2. Back up your device data using iCloud or Finder/iTunes as a precaution before applying any system update
  3. Install the appropriate security update for your device: For iPhone/iPad, update to iOS/iPadOS 14.5 or later; For Mac, update to macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later; For Apple Watch, update to watchOS 7.4 or later; For Apple TV, update to tvOS 14.5 or later
  4. After updating, verify the new OS version is installed by checking Settings > General > About
Caveat Standard OS update considerations apply - ensure app compatibility and back up data before upgrading

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
26.0 hours of engineering $4,360
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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-2021-1885 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

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