IRONSMITHINTEL
HIGHCVSS7.5
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2021-31010|Auth: none — unauthenticated|Reboot: required|Manual only

Apple iOS, macOS, watchOS Sandbox Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2021-31010)

In affected versions of Apple iOS, macOS, and watchOS, a sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions.

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

A remote attacker, without authentication, can achieve partial data exposure, arbitrary modification of data. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2022-09-15 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Apple iOS, macOS, watchOS. A deserialization issue was addressed through improved validation. This issue is fixed in Security Update 2021-005 Catalina, iOS 12.5.5, iOS 14.8 and iPadOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, watchOS 7.6.2. A sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions. Apple was aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited at the time of release.. Exploitation requires remote network access, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and no user interaction required.

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Phishing link

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Malicious file

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Server compromised

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

●Apple Device Administrators
●Endpoint Security
●IT Security
●Running ipados: v < 14.8; iphone os: 12.0 ≤ v < 12.5.5, 14.0 ≤ v < 14.8; mac os x: 10.15 ≤ v < 10.15.7, 10.15.7; macos: 11.0 ≤ v < 11.6; watchos: v < 7.6.2
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

CISA added this CVE to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-08-25 based on evidence of active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies required to remediate by 2022-09-15.

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-2021-31010'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.
PowerShell automationComing soon

No tested PowerShell script for this entry yet. We’re prioritising automation based on user demand.

References

↗ CVE-2021-31010↗ MSRC Advisory↗ NVD↗ Vendor Advisory