dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2024-44242

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 18.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
The issue was addressed with improved bounds checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1. An attacker may be able to cause unexpected system termination or arbitrary code execution in DCP firmware.

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 confidence

A bounds check vulnerability in the Display Control Processor (DCP) firmware on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices allows for potential arbitrary code execution or unexpected system termination. The issue was addressed with improved bounds checks in the patched versions.

MitigationApply the available vendor patches by updating to iOS 18.1 and later, iPadOS 18.1 and later, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 and later.

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:< 18.1
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 18.1

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 your device platform
    Determine if you are using an iPhone (iOS) or iPad (iPadOS) device
    Affected if Device runs iOS or iPadOS
  2. Check installed iOS version
    On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and note the version number displayed next to 'Software Version'
    Affected if iOS version is below 18.1
  3. Check installed iPadOS version
    On iPad, go to Settings > General > About and note the version number displayed next to 'Software Version'
    Affected if iPadOS version is below 18.1

You are affected if your device runs iOS or iPadOS version lower than 18.1, as the DCP firmware vulnerability exists in those unpatched versions.

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 18.1 or later
Fixed in 18.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the available vendor patches by updating to iOS 18.1 and later, iPadOS 18.1 and later, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 and later.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1

  1. Backup your iPhone or iPad to iCloud or your computer before proceeding with the update
  2. Ensure your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network and plugged into power
  3. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Software Update
  4. Download and install iOS 18.1 (for iPhone) or iPadOS 18.1 (for iPad) when prompted
  5. Restart your device if prompted to complete the installation
Caveat Major iOS upgrades may cause incompatibility with older applications or accessories; review app compatibility before updating

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,720
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,352.

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-2024-44242 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