CVE-2021-30883

CVE-2021-30883 is a memory corruption flaw (CWE-787, out-of-bounds write) in the kernel of Apple's iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, addressed with improved memory handling. It is triggered by a local application that mishandles memory, with the CVSS vector (AV:L, UI:R) indicating a user must run or interact with the malicious app. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges, giving an attacker full control over the affected device. All users of iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, and Apple Watches running versions earlier than the patched releases are affected. Apple acknowledged the issue may have been actively exploited in the wild, and CISA added it to the KEV catalog; related reporting indicates it was among 2021 zero-days developed commercially and sold to government clients.

What to do: Upgrade iPhones and iPads to iOS/iPadOS 15.0.2 (or 14.8.1 for devices staying on iOS 14), Macs to macOS Monterey 12.0.1 or Big Sur 11.6.1, Apple TVs to tvOS 15.1, and Apple Watches to watchOS 8.1. As a CISA KEV entry, the required action is to apply updates per vendor instructions; inventory managed Apple devices and verify OS versions to confirm patching, prioritizing high-risk users who may have been targeted by commercial spyware.