About the security content of watchOS 8.3

This document describes the security content of watchOS 8.3.

About Apple security updates

For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available. Recent releases are listed on the Apple security updates page.

Apple security documents reference vulnerabilities by CVE-ID when possible.

For more information about security, see the Apple Product Security page.

watchOS 8.3

Audio

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Parsing a maliciously crafted audio file may lead to disclosure of user information

Description: A buffer overflow issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2021-30960: JunDong Xie of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

CFNetwork Proxies

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: User traffic might unexpectedly be leaked to a proxy server despite PAC configurations

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2021-30966: Michal Rajcan of Jamf, Matt Vlasach of Jamf (Wandera)

ColorSync

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A memory corruption issue in the processing of ICC profiles was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2021-30926: Jeremy Brown

CVE-2021-30942: Mateusz Jurczyk of Google Project Zero

CoreAudio

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted audio file may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A buffer overflow was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2021-30957: JunDong Xie of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

CoreAudio

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Playing a malicious audio file may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2021-30958: JunDong Xie of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

Crash Reporter

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A local attacker may be able to elevate their privileges

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30945: Zhipeng Huo (@R3dF09) and Yuebin Sun (@yuebinsun2020) of Tencent Security Xuanwu Lab (xlab.tencent.com)

FontParser

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font may result in the disclosure of process memory

Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved bounds checking.

CVE-2021-31013: Daniel Lim Wee Soong of STAR Labs

Game Center

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to read sensitive contact information

Description: A permissions issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-31000: Denis Tokarev (@illusionofcha0s)

ImageIO

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved bounds checking.

CVE-2021-30939: Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro, Jaewon Min of Cisco Talos, Rui Yang and Xingwei Lin of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2021-30916: Zweig of Kunlun Lab

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: A memory corruption vulnerability was addressed with improved locking.

CVE-2021-30937: Sergei Glazunov of Google Project Zero

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management.

CVE-2021-30927: Xinru Chi of Pangu Lab

CVE-2021-30980: Xinru Chi of Pangu Lab

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2021-30949: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to execute arbitrary code

Description: A buffer overflow issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2021-30993: OSS-Fuzz, Ned Williamson of Google Project Zero

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: A race condition was addressed with improved state handling.

CVE-2021-30955: Zweig of Kunlun Lab

Messages

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious user may be able to leave a messages group but continue to receive messages in that group

Description: An issue in the handling of group membership was resolved with improved logic.

CVE-2021-30943: Joshua Sardella

Preferences

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges

Description: A race condition was addressed with improved state handling.

CVE-2021-30995: Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro, Mickey Jin (@patch1t)

Sandbox

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to bypass certain Privacy preferences

Description: A validation issue related to hard link behavior was addressed with improved sandbox restrictions.

CVE-2021-30968: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security

Sandbox

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to bypass certain Privacy preferences

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved restrictions.

CVE-2021-30946: @gorelics, and Ron Masas of BreakPoint.sh

Sandbox

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: An application may be able to access a user's files

Description: An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions.

CVE-2021-30947: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security

SQLite

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious app may be able to access data from other apps by enabling additional logging

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2021-30944: Wojciech Reguła (@_r3ggi) of SecuRing

TCC

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A local user may be able to modify protected parts of the file system

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2021-30767: @gorelics

TCC

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to bypass Privacy preferences

Description: An inherited permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions.

CVE-2021-30964: Andy Grant of Zoom Video Communications

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A buffer overflow issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2021-30934: Dani Biro

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management.

CVE-2021-30936: Chijin Zhou of ShuiMuYuLin Ltd and Tsinghua wingtecher lab

CVE-2021-30951: Pangu

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: An integer overflow was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2021-30952: @18f and @jq0904 of DBAPP Security‘s weibin lab via Tianfu Cup

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A race condition was addressed with improved state handling.

CVE-2021-30984: Kunlun Lab via Tianfu Cup

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved bounds checking.

CVE-2021-30953: Jianjun Dai of 360 Vulnerability Research Institute via Tianfu Cup

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A type confusion issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2021-30954: Kunlun Lab via Tianfu Cup

Additional recognition

Bluetooth

We would like to acknowledge Haram Park, Korea University for their assistance.

ColorSync

We would like to acknowledge Mateusz Jurczyk of Google Project Zero for their assistance.

Contacts

We would like to acknowledge Minchan Park (03stin) for their assistance.

Kernel

We would like to acknowledge Amit Klein of Bar-Ilan University's Center for Research in Applied Cryptography and Cyber Security for their assistance.

WebKit

We would like to acknowledge Peter Snyder of Brave and Soroush Karami for their assistance.