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IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2021-30911

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-08-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.15.7 / 11.6.1 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.0.1, Security Update 2021-007 Catalina, iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1, macOS Big Sur 11.6.1. Processing a maliciously crafted USD file may disclose memory contents.

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

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Apple's USD (Universal Scene Description) file parser allows a maliciously crafted USD file to read beyond allocated memory boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive memory contents. The vulnerability is addressed through improved bounds checking in the affected operating systems.

MitigationApply the relevant security updates: iOS 15.1/iPadOS 15.1, macOS Monterey 12.0.1, Security Update 2021-007 for Catalina, or macOS Big Sur 11.6.1. For custom applications parsing USD files, implement strict bounds checking before all memory access operations.

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:< 15.1
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.1
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:< 10.15.7= 10.15.7
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 11.0, < 11.6.1= 12.0

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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the operating system version
    On iOS/iPadOS: go to Settings > General > About > Version. On macOS: click Apple menu > About This Mac > Version number
    Affected if The OS version falls within iOS < 15.1, iPadOS < 15.1, macOS X 10.15.7 (or earlier), macOS 11.0-11.6.0, or macOS 12.0
  2. Confirm macOS build number for additional precision
    On macOS, run 'sw_vers' in Terminal or check Build Number in About This Mac > System Report
    Affected if For macOS 11.x, build numbers below 20G90 (the 11.6.1 update) indicate vulnerability; for macOS 12.0, build numbers below 21A559 indicate vulnerability
  3. Determine if USD file parsing is actively used
    Check for recently opened or processed .usd, .usda, .usdc, or .usdz files on the device, or check for apps that process 3D content such as ARKit, Reality Composer, or 3D model viewers
    Affected if The device processes USD files and runs a vulnerable OS version
  4. Review system Quick Look usage for USD files
    On macOS, use 'qlmanage -p' to test Quick Look preview of any USD file, or check system logs for USD-related Quick Look activity
    Affected if Quick Look generates previews for USD files on a vulnerable macOS version

A user is affected if their device runs iOS/iPadOS below 15.1 or macOS versions 10.15.7, 11.0-11.6.0, or 12.0, AND the system processes USD files either through built-in features or user applications.

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 10.15.7 / 11.6.1 / 15.1 or later
Fixed in 10.15.711.6.115.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the relevant security updates: iOS 15.1/iPadOS 15.1, macOS Monterey 12.0.1, Security Update 2021-007 for Catalina, or macOS Big Sur 11.6.1. For custom applications parsing USD files, implement strict bounds checking before all memory access operations.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 15.1 / iPadOS 15.1 / macOS Big Sur 11.6.1 / macOS Monterey 12.0.1 / Security Update 2021-007 Catalina (for 10.15.7)

  1. For iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 15.1 or iPadOS 15.1
  2. For macOS Big Sur (11.x): Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install macOS Big Sur 11.6.1
  3. For macOS Monterey (12.0): Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install macOS Monterey 12.0.1
  4. For macOS Catalina (10.15.7): Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install Security Update 2021-007 Catalina
  5. Alternatively, use the App Store to download and install the latest security updates for your device
Caveat Standard iOS/macOS update considerations apply - ensure backups exist before updating

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,800
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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-2021-30911 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