dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2021-30725

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.4 / 14.6 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
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.4, Security Update 2021-003 Catalina, Security Update 2021-004 Mojave, iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6. 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 confidence

Memory corruption vulnerability in Apple's Universal Scene Description (USD) file parser. Processing a maliciously crafted USD file triggers improper state management leading to memory corruption, which can cause application crashes (denial of service) or potentially allow arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the application parsing the file.

MitigationApply Apple's security updates (macOS Big Sur 11.4+, Security Update 2021-003/2021-004, iOS/iPadOS 14.6+). In enterprise environments, test USD file processing functionality after applying patches. Restrict processing of USD files from untrusted 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:< 14.6
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 14.6
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:>= 10.14.0, <= 10.14.5>= 10.15, <= 10.15.6= 10.14.6= 10.15.7
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 11.0.1, < 11.4

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 macOS version
    Run 'sw_vers' in Terminal or view System Preferences > About. On macOS 11.x, note the specific build version.
    Affected if Version is 10.14.0-10.14.5, 10.14.6, 10.15.0-10.15.6, 10.15.7, or 11.0.1-11.3.x (anything below 11.4 on Big Sur or below 10.14.6/10.15.7 on older macOS)
  2. Check iOS/iPadOS version
    On the device, go to Settings > General > About to view the version number.
    Affected if Version is any release prior to 14.6 (iOS or iPadOS)
  3. Identify applications that process USD files
    Search for apps that open .usd, .usda, .usdc, or .usdz files. Use 'mdfind kMDItemContentTypeTree=="com.pixar.universal-scene-description"' or check Application folder for 3D/AR apps like Xcode, Reality Composer, or AR Quick Look-enabled apps.
    Affected if Any application capable of parsing USD files is installed and available for use on the device
  4. Verify USD file processing capability is enabled
    Check if AR Quick Look (iOS/iPadOS) or Preview/Quick Look (macOS) can open .usdz files. On iOS, test by opening a USDZ attachment in Mail or Safari.
    Affected if USD file preview or rendering features are accessible to the user

The environment is affected if the operating system version falls within the ranges specified AND any application or system feature capable of parsing USD files is present and enabled.

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 11.4 / 14.6 or later
Fixed in 11.414.6
Interim mitigation

Apply Apple's security updates (macOS Big Sur 11.4+, Security Update 2021-003/2021-004, iOS/iPadOS 14.6+). In enterprise environments, test USD file processing functionality after applying patches. Restrict processing of USD files from untrusted sources until patches are applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 14.6 / iPadOS 14.6 / macOS Big Sur 11.4 / Security Update 2021-003 (Catalina) / Security Update 2021-004 (Mojave)

  1. Back up all important data before starting the update process
  2. For iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS/iPadOS 14.6 or later
  3. For macOS Big Sur (11.x): Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install macOS Big Sur 11.4 or later
  4. For macOS Catalina (10.15.x): Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install Security Update 2021-003 Catalina
  5. For macOS Mojave (10.14.x): Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install Security Update 2021-004 Mojave
  6. Restart the device after the update completes
  7. Verify the update was successful by checking the OS version in Settings/About
Caveat Standard OS update risks apply - back up data before upgrading; some legacy software may not be compatible with newer OS versions

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.

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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-2021-30725 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