IRONSMITHINTEL
HIGHCVSS7.8
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2021-30900|Auth: none — unauthenticated|Reboot: required|Manual only

Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability (CVE-2021-30900)

Apple GPU drivers, included in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that may allow a malicious application to execute code with kernel privileges.

Published Aug 24, 2021 · Updated May 17, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A local attacker, without authentication, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2023-04-20 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) vulnerability in Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 14.8.1 and iPadOS 14.8.1, iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1. A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Exploitation requires local access, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

Apple Device Administrators
Endpoint Security
IT Security
Running ipados: v < 14.8.1, 15.0; iphone os: v < 14.8.1, 15.0; macos: v < 11.6.1
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

CISA added this CVE to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-03-30 based on evidence of active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies required to remediate by 2023-04-20.

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

1
Identify affected hosts: query inventory for os installs in scope.
2
Apply the vendor security update referenced in CVE-2021-30900's advisory. No specific KB/version is encoded yet — consult the linked MSRC/vendor URL.
3
Verify the fix per the vendor's published verification steps.
4
Document the remediation in your change ticket and re-scan with your vulnerability scanner to confirm closure.
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