CVE-2021-30860 — Apple Multiple Products Integer Overflow Vulnerability
An integer overflow was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in Security Update 2021-005 Catalina, iOS 14.8 and iPadOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, watchOS 7.6.2. Processing a maliciously crafted PDF may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (github)+6
- EPSS 76% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal deadline: Nov 17, 2021 — passed 1793 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Apple iOS, Apple Ipados, Apple Iphone Os…).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
- EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | iOS | < 14.8 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Apple | Ipados | < 14.8 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Iphone Os | < 12.5.5≥ 13.0 and < 14.8 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Mac Os X | version 10.15.7version 10.15.7-security_update_2021-004version 10.15.7-security_update_2021-003version 10.15.7-security_update_2021-002version 10.15.7-security_update_2021-001version 10.15.7-security_update_2020-001version 10.15.7-security_update_2020≥ 10.15 and < 10.15.7 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Macos | < 11.6 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Macos | < 2021-005< 11.6 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Apple | Watchos | < 7.6.2 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Watchos | < 7.6 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Freedesktop | Poppler | < 22.09.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Xpdfreader | Xpdf | < 4.04 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 6.8 | CVSS 2.0 | Medium | 8.6 | 6.4 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- Collection of materials relating to FORCEDENTRY ★ 103 Dec 25, 2021
- Scan for evidence of CVE-2021-30860 (FORCEDENTRY) exploit ★ 13 Sep 18, 2021
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 75.99%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Nov 3, 2021 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · apple/ipados, apple/iphone os, apple/mac os x, apple/macos, apple/watchos, xpdfreader/xpdf, freedesktop/poppler
- Source status changed · Published → Analyzed
- Record published
- Affected products added · apple/macos, apple/watchos, apple/ios
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Source status changed · → Published
- SSVC assessment updated
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2021
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
16 on the record
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT212804
- support.apple.com/kb/HT212824
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT212806
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT212807
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT212805
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/Sep/27
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/Sep/50
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/Sep/25
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/09/02/11
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/Sep/40
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/Sep/28
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/Sep/39
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/202209-21
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/Sep/38
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2021/Sep/26
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-107705 Poppler 0.42.0 through 26.10.0 Stack Buffer Overflow via Decrypt::revision6Hash() 7d
- High CVE-2026-86950 Apple Multiple Products Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability KEV 17d
- Medium CVE-2026-86903 Out-of-bounds Read in Apple Ipados Sep 14, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-86924 Improper Input Validation in Apple Ipados Sep 14, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-86905 Improper Access Control in Apple Ipados Sep 14, 2026
- High CVE-2026-86904 A privacy issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS… Sep 14, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2021-30860 is "Apple Multiple Products Integer Overflow Vulnerability", rated High. It affects iOS (Apple); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 75.99% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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