CVE-2019-8593 – CVE-2019-8593 is a memory corruption vulnerabil... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2019-8593?

CVE-2019-8593 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). CVE-2019-8593 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Apple iOS, tvOS, and watchOS that allows an application to execute arbitrary code with system privileges. This affects users of Apple devices running vulnerable versions of these operating systems, potentially giving attackers full control over affected devices.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2019-8593 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Apple iOS, tvOS, and watchOS that allows an application to execute arbitrary code with system privileges. This affects users of Apple devices running vulnerable versions of these operating systems, potentially giving attackers full control over affected devices.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

iOS
tvOS
watchOS

Versions: Versions prior to iOS 12.3, tvOS 12.3, watchOS 5.2.1

Operating Systems: iOS, tvOS, watchOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All devices running affected versions are vulnerable by default. No special configuration required.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete device compromise with system-level privileges, allowing installation of persistent malware, data theft, and device takeover.

🟠

Likely Case

Malicious app could gain full system access, bypassing sandbox restrictions to access sensitive data and system resources.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper app vetting and security controls, risk is limited to trusted app sources only.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires user to install a malicious application. No public exploit code available.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: iOS 12.3, tvOS 12.3, watchOS 5.2.1

Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/HT210118

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. 2. Download and install iOS 12.3/tvOS 12.3/watchOS 5.2.1. 3. Restart device after installation.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict App Installation

all

Only allow installation from trusted sources like Apple App Store

Settings > General > Device Management > Trust Enterprise Developer (if applicable)

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict device to only install apps from Apple App Store
Implement mobile device management (MDM) to control app installation

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Settings > General > About > Version. If version is below iOS 12.3, tvOS 12.3, or watchOS 5.2.1, device is vulnerable.

Check Version:

Settings > General > About > Version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify version is iOS 12.3 or later, tvOS 12.3 or later, or watchOS 5.2.1 or later.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual app behavior logs
System privilege escalation attempts

Network Indicators:

Suspicious network connections from system processes

SIEM Query:

device.os.version < "12.3" AND device.type IN ("iphone", "ipad", "apple-tv", "apple-watch")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2019-8593

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-787

Published: December 18, 2019

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://support.apple.com/HT210118 Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/HT210120 Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/HT210122 Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/HT210118 Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/HT210120 Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/HT210122 Vendor Advisory

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2019-8593, you might also want to check these: