CVE-2020-29611
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows arbitrary code execution by processing a maliciously crafted image due to an out-of-bounds write memory corruption issue. It affects Apple devices running vulnerable versions of tvOS, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and iCloud for Windows. Attackers can exploit this to take control of affected systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- tvOS
- macOS
- iOS
- iPadOS
- watchOS
- iCloud for Windows
📦 What is this software?
Icloud by Apple
Ipados by Apple
Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →Tvos by Apple
Watchos by Apple
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control over the device, enabling data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Malicious image delivered via email, messaging, or web content leads to remote code execution, potentially compromising user data and device integrity.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and security controls, impact is limited to isolated incidents with minimal data exposure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to process a malicious image, but no authentication is needed. The out-of-bounds write vulnerability is memory corruption that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: tvOS 14.3, macOS Big Sur 11.1, Security Update 2020-001 Catalina, Security Update 2020-007 Mojave, iOS 14.3, iPadOS 14.3, iCloud for Windows 12.0, watchOS 7.2
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212003
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Settings/System Preferences on affected device. 2. Navigate to Software Update. 3. Install the latest available update. 4. Restart the device when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable automatic image processing
allConfigure email clients and web browsers to not automatically download or process images from untrusted sources.
Network filtering for malicious images
allImplement network-level filtering to block known malicious image files using content inspection or reputation-based blocking.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code
- Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the operating system version against the affected versions listed in the Apple security advisories.Check Version:
On Apple devices: Settings > General > About > Version. On Windows: iCloud for Windows > Help > About iCloud.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify that the device is running tvOS 14.3+, macOS Big Sur 11.1+, Security Update 2020-001 Catalina, Security Update 2020-007 Mojave, iOS 14.3+, iPadOS 14.3+, iCloud for Windows 12.0+, or watchOS 7.2+.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected process crashes in image processing components
- Suspicious file access patterns for image files
- Unusual network connections after image file access
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from devices after processing image files from untrusted sources
- Traffic patterns indicating data exfiltration following image processing
SIEM Query:
source="apple-device-logs" AND (event_type="process_crash" AND process_name="*image*" OR file_access="*.jpg" OR file_access="*.png" OR file_access="*.gif")🔗 References
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212003
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212005
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212009
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212011
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212145
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212003
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212005
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212009
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212011
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212145
