dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2021-30764

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.4 / 14.5 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
Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to arbitrary code execution. This issue is fixed in iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, tvOS 14.5. This issue was addressed with improved checks.

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

A file parsing vulnerability in Apple's mobile and TV operating systems allows arbitrary code execution when processing a maliciously crafted file. The vulnerability stemmed from insufficient input validation checks during file processing, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted application.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied updates: iOS 14.5+, iPadOS 14.5+, watchOS 7.4+, or tvOS 14.5+ depending on the affected device. In enterprise environments, use MDM solutions to deploy patches to all managed devices.

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
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 Apple operating system on the device
    On iOS/iPadOS: go to Settings > General > About and note the system (iPhone iOS or iPadOS). On watchOS: open the Watch app on paired iPhone, go to My Watch > General > About. On tvOS: go to Settings > General > About.
    Affected if The device runs any Apple mobile or TV OS (iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, or tvOS)
  2. Check the installed OS version number
    View the version field in the same About menu (for example, 14.4.1 or 14.3)
    Affected if A version number is displayed that can be compared against fixed releases
  3. Compare the version to the affected ranges
    Check if iOS/iPadOS < 14.5, watchOS < 7.4, or tvOS < 14.5. For example, version 14.4 or 13.7 is below the fixed release; 14.5 or higher is not vulnerable.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, or tvOS 14.5
  4. Identify applications that process external files
    Review installed apps that handle file attachments, documents, media, or downloaded content (mail clients, browsers, document viewers, messaging apps). Check if any such apps are in regular use.
    Affected if The device runs apps that process untrusted files, as this is required to trigger the vulnerability

The device is affected if it runs iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, or tvOS at a version lower than 14.5 (or 7.4 for watchOS) AND uses applications that process external files.

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 / 14.5 or later
Fixed in 7.414.5
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied updates: iOS 14.5+, iPadOS 14.5+, watchOS 7.4+, or tvOS 14.5+ depending on the affected device. In enterprise environments, use MDM solutions to deploy patches to all managed devices.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, tvOS 14.5 (depending on device type)

  1. Back up your device data using iTunes or iCloud before upgrading
  2. Connect your iOS device to a power source
  3. Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on the device
  4. Download and install iOS 14.5 (for iPhone), iPadOS 14.5 (for iPad), watchOS 7.4 (for Apple Watch), or tvOS 14.5 (for Apple TV)
  5. Alternatively, connect the device to a computer with iTunes (or Finder on macOS) and check for updates through the software
  6. Wait for the update to complete and ensure the device restarts successfully
  7. Verify the update was successful by checking Settings > General > About > Version
Caveat Standard iOS upgrades may deprecate older apps; ensure backups exist before upgrading; some jailbroken devices may lose functionality

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,980
Get the upgrade done

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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-2021-30764 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