CVE-2021-30680
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 · uneditedA logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.4. A local user may be able to load unsigned kernel extensions.
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 logic flaw in macOS Big Sur allowed a local authenticated user to bypass kernel extension signing requirements and load unsigned kernel extensions, which run with kernel-level privileges and could enable complete system compromise.
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< 11.4CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 versionRun 'sw_vers -ProductVersion' in Terminal to retrieve the installed macOS versionAffected if The version is below 11.4 (for example, 11.3.x, 11.2.x, 11.1.x, or 11.0.x)
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Review loaded kernel extensionsRun 'kextstat' in Terminal to list all currently loaded kernel extensions and note their bundle identifiers and signing statusAffected if Any unsigned or unexpected kernel extensions are present that were not intentionally installed by an administrator
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Check for system extensionsRun 'systemextensionsctl list' in Terminal to enumerate installed system extensionsAffected if Any unrecognized or unexpected system extensions are present
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Audit kernel extension loading logsRun 'log show --predicate 'eventMessage contains "kext"' --last 30d' to review recent kernel extension loading events in system logsAffected if Logs show kernel extension loading events that occurred while the system was running a version below 11.4
A system is affected if it runs macOS Big Sur versions prior to 11.4, as those versions contain the logic flaw that could allow unsigned kernel extensions to be loaded.
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 · scoped11.4
Apply macOS Big Sur 11.4 or later security update. Review kernel extension loading policies and audit for any unauthorized extensions that may have been loaded.
macOS Big Sur 11.4 or later
- Check current macOS version by clicking Apple menu > About This Mac
- Back up important data before updating
- Update to macOS Big Sur 11.4 or later via System Preferences > Software Update, or download from the Mac App Store
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-30680 — 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-2021-30680 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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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.
- 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