dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2021-30973

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-08-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.6.2 / 12.1 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 input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.1, iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2, macOS Big Sur 11.6.2, Security Update 2021-008 Catalina. Processing a maliciously crafted file may disclose user information.

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

This is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Apple's macOS and iOS operating systems. The vulnerability exists in file processing code where insufficient input validation allows reading memory beyond allocated boundaries. An attacker can exploit this by tricking a user into processing a maliciously crafted file, potentially exposing sensitive user information from memory.

MitigationApply the available security updates from Apple: macOS Monterey 12.1, macOS Big Sur 11.6.2, Security Update 2021-008 for Catalina, iOS 15.2, or iPadOS 15.2 depending on the affected device. Users should avoid opening 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:< 15.2
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.2
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:>= 10.15, <= 10.15.7= 10.15.7
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 11.0, < 11.6.2>= 12.0, < 12.1

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. Check macOS version on Mac
    Click Apple menu > About This Mac. Note the version number shown under macOS (e.g., 12.1, 11.6.1, 10.15.7).
    Affected if Version matches the affected ranges: 10.15.7, 11.0-11.6.1, or 12.0
  2. Check iOS version on iPhone or iPad
    Go to Settings > General > About. Note the version number (e.g., 15.1, 14.8).
    Affected if Version is less than 15.2 (e.g., 15.1, 15.0, 14.x)
  3. Confirm macOS 10.15.7 (Catalina) status
    If running macOS 10.15.x, run 'sw_vers' in Terminal or check exact version in About This Mac. Version 10.15.7 with Security Update 2021-008 applied is fixed.
    Affected if Running 10.15.7 without Security Update 2021-008 applied
  4. Confirm macOS 11.x (Big Sur) status
    If running macOS 11.x, note the exact minor version (e.g., 11.5, 11.6.1).
    Affected if Version is 11.0 through 11.6.1 (11.6.2 and later are fixed)
  5. Confirm macOS 12.x (Monterey) status
    If running macOS 12.x, note the exact version (e.g., 12.0, 12.0.1).
    Affected if Version is 12.0 or 12.0.x (12.1 and later are fixed)

You are affected if your device runs macOS 10.15.7 without Security Update 2021-008, macOS 11.0-11.6.1, macOS 12.0, or iOS/iPadOS prior to 15.2.

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 11.6.2 / 12.1 / 15.2 or later
Fixed in 11.6.212.115.2
Interim mitigation

Apply the available security updates from Apple: macOS Monterey 12.1, macOS Big Sur 11.6.2, Security Update 2021-008 for Catalina, iOS 15.2, or iPadOS 15.2 depending on the affected device. Users should avoid opening files from untrusted sources until patches are applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 15.2 / iPadOS 15.2 / macOS Monterey 12.1 / macOS Big Sur 11.6.2 / Security Update 2021-008 for Catalina

  1. Check current device OS version in Settings > General > About (iOS/iPadOS) or System Preferences > About (macOS)
  2. For iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 15.2 or iPadOS 15.2
  3. For macOS 10.15 (Catalina): Install Security Update 2021-008 via System Preferences > Software Update
  4. For macOS 11.x (Big Sur): Install macOS Big Sur 11.6.2 via System Preferences > Software Update
  5. For macOS 12.x (Monterey): Install macOS Monterey 12.1 via System Preferences > Software Update
  6. Restart the device after the update completes
Caveat Standard OS update risks apply - ensure important data is backed up before updating

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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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-2021-30973 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