Along with macOS 11.5 being released, security updates have arrived for both macOS Catalina and Mojave. Fixes included are for flaws that could lead to malicious applications gaining root access, arbitrary code being executed with kernel privileges, and more.
There are 20+ security fixes for macOS Catalina and Mojave. For many users, the risk of these security issues may be low but with some being potentially serious these are important updates to install.
On your Mac head to System Preferences > Software Update or > About This Mac > Software Update to see if the updates are ready for you.
Here’s a look at all the security fixes for macOS Catalina:
AMD Kernel
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved input validation.
CVE-2021-30805: ABC Research s.r.o
AppKit
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Opening a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: An information disclosure issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code.
CVE-2021-30790: hjy79425575 working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative
Audio
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: A local attacker may be able to cause unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.
CVE-2021-30781: tr3e
Bluetooth
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: A malicious application may be able to gain root privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management.
CVE-2021-30672: say2 of ENKI
CoreAudio
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted audio file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management.
CVE-2021-30775: JunDong Xie of Ant Security Light-Year Lab
CoreAudio
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Playing a malicious audio file may lead to an unexpected application termination
Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved validation.
CVE-2021-30776: JunDong Xie of Ant Security Light-Year Lab
CoreStorage
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: A malicious application may be able to gain root privileges
Description: An injection issue was addressed with improved validation.
CVE-2021-30777: Tim Michaud(@TimGMichaud) of Zoom Video Communications and Gary Nield of ECSC Group plc
CoreText
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation.
CVE-2021-30789: Sunglin of Knownsec 404 team, Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro
CoreText
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font may result in the disclosure of process memory
Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation.
CVE-2021-30733: Sunglin from the Knownsec 404
CVMS
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: A malicious application may be able to gain root privileges
Description: An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking.
CVE-2021-30780: Tim Michaud(@TimGMichaud) of Zoom Video Communications
dyld
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: A sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions
Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved validation.
CVE-2021-30768: Linus Henze (pinauten.de)
FontParser
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: An integer overflow was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2021-30760: Sunglin of Knownsec 404 team
FontParser
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A stack overflow was addressed with improved input validation.
CVE-2021-30759: hjy79425575 working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative
FontParser
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted tiff file may lead to a denial-of-service or potentially disclose memory contents
Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.
CVE-2021-30788: tr3e working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative
ImageIO
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking.
CVE-2021-30785: Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro, CFF of Topsec Alpha Team
Intel Graphics Driver
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: An application may be able to cause unexpected system termination or write kernel memory
Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.
CVE-2021-30787: Anonymous working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative
Intel Graphics Driver
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: An out-of-bounds write was addressed with improved input validation.
CVE-2021-30765: Liu Long of Ant Security Light-Year Lab
CVE-2021-30766: Liu Long of Ant Security Light-Year Lab
IOUSBHostFamily
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: An unprivileged application may be able to capture USB devices
Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.
CVE-2021-30731: UTM (@UTMapp)
Kernel
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A double free issue was addressed with improved memory management.
CVE-2021-30703: an anonymous researcher
Kernel
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.
CVE-2021-30793: Zuozhi Fan (@pattern_F_) of Ant Security TianQiong Lab
LaunchServices
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: A malicious application may be able to break out of its sandbox
Description: This issue was addressed with improved environment sanitization.
CVE-2021-30677: Ron Waisberg (@epsilan)
LaunchServices
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: A sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions
Description: An access issue was addressed with improved access restrictions.
CVE-2021-30783: Ron Waisberg (@epsilan)
Model I/O
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to a denial of service
Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved validation.
CVE-2021-30796: Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro
Sandbox
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: A malicious application may be able to access restricted files
Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.
CVE-2021-30782: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security
WebKit
Available for: macOS Catalina
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed with improved memory handling.
CVE-2021-30799: Sergei Glazunov of Google Project Zero
Additional recognition
configd
We would like to acknowledge Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security for their assistance.
CoreServices
We would like to acknowledge Zhongcheng Li (CK01) for their assistance.
CoreText
We would like to acknowledge Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro for their assistance.
Crash Reporter
We would like to acknowledge Yizhuo Wang of Group of Software Security In Progress (G.O.S.S.I.P) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University for their assistance.
crontabs
We would like to acknowledge Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security for their assistance.
IOKit
We would like to acknowledge George Nosenko for their assistance.
libxml2
We would like to acknowledge for their assistance.
Spotlight
We would like to acknowledge Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security for their assistance.
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