CVE-2021-30813
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 · uneditedThis issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.0.1. A person with access to a host Mac may be able to bypass the Login Window in Remote Desktop for a locked instance of macOS.
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 · moderate confidenceA vulnerability in macOS Remote Desktop allows an attacker with host access to bypass the Login Window authentication on a locked macOS instance. This authentication bypass affects Remote Desktop functionality in macOS Monterey prior to 12.0.1.
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< 12.0.1CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/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 installed macOS versionGo to Apple menu > About This Mac, or run `sw_vers` in Terminal. Look for the version number (e.g., 12.0, 11.6.x, etc.)Affected if Version is earlier than 12.0.1 (e.g., 12.0, 11.x, 10.x)
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Verify Remote Desktop is enabledOpen System Preferences > Sharing (or System Settings > General > Sharing on newer macOS). Look for "Remote Management" or "Remote Login" checkboxes, or run `sharing -list` in Terminal.Affected if Remote Desktop/Remote Management is currently checked/enabled
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Confirm Remote Desktop listener statusRun `ps aux | grep -i remote` or check for processes named "AppleRemoteDesktop" or "screensharingd" running on the system.Affected if Remote Desktop services are actively running or listening for connections
You are affected if your macOS version is earlier than 12.0.1 AND Remote Desktop/Remote Management is enabled on your system.
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 · scoped12.0.1
Apply macOS Monterey 12.0.1 or later security update. Additionally, ensure physical security of macOS hosts and restrict Remote Desktop access to trusted users.
macOS Monterey 12.0.1
- Check current macOS version by clicking Apple menu > About This Mac
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup method before upgrading
- Open the App Store app and search for macOS Monterey, or go to https://www.apple.com/macos/
- Download and install macOS Monterey 12.0.1
- Alternatively, go to System Preferences > Software Update and install the available update
- Restart the Mac when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-30813 — 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-2021-30813 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