CVE-2021-30656
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 access issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5. A malicious application may be able to determine kernel memory layout.
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 confidenceThis is a kernel memory information disclosure vulnerability in iOS/iPadOS that allows a malicious application to determine kernel memory layout. The issue stems from improper memory management that exposes kernel memory addresses, which can aid attackers in developing privilege escalation exploits.
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< 14.5< 14.5CVSS 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
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 iOS/iPadOS version via SettingsOn the iOS/iPadOS device, go to Settings > General > About and look at the 'Version' fieldAffected if The version number displayed is lower than 14.5 (for example, 14.4.2, 14.4, 14.3, etc.)
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Check iOS/iPadOS version via iTunes or FinderConnect the iOS/iPadOS device to a computer with iTunes (Windows or older macOS) or Finder (macOS Catalina and later). The device summary page displays the iOS version next to the device nameAffected if The version shown is below 14.5
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Compare version against vulnerability rangeAny iOS or iPadOS version prior to 14.5 is within the affected range. Versions 14.5 and later contain the fix for this kernel memory layout disclosureAffected if Running any version below 14.5, including all 14.x versions before 14.5, all 13.x versions, and earlier releases
The device is affected if it runs any iOS/iPadOS version below 14.5, because the vulnerability allows a malicious application to determine kernel memory layout.
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.
dbcve · scoped14.5
Update affected devices to iOS 14.5 or later (iPadOS 14.5 or later) to apply Apple's fix for this kernel memory layout disclosure vulnerability.
iOS 14.5 / iPadOS 14.5
- Backup your device data to iCloud or a computer before updating
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to power and Wi-Fi
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update
- Download and install iOS 14.5 (or iPadOS 14.5 for iPad devices)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-30656 — 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-2021-30656 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data