About the security content of watchOS 5.2.1

This document describes the security content of watchOS 5.2.1.

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 5.2.1

AppleFileConduit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

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

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

CVE-2019-8593: Dany Lisiansky (@DanyL931)

CoreAudio

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

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

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

CVE-2019-8585: riusksk of VulWar Corp working with Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative

CoreAudio

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

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

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

CVE-2019-8592: riusksk of VulWar Corp working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative

Disc Images

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: An application may be able to read restricted memory

Description: A validation issue was addressed with improved input sanitisation.

CVE-2019-8560: Nikita Pupyshev of Bauman Moscow State Technological University

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

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

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

CVE-2019-8605: Ned Williamson working with Google Project Zero

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: A local user may be able to cause unexpected system termination or read kernel memory

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

CVE-2019-8576: Brandon Azad of Google Project Zero, Junho Jang and Hanul Choi of LINE Security Team

Kernel

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: An application may be able to cause unexpected system termination or write kernel memory

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

CVE-2019-8591: Ned Williamson working with Google Project Zero

Mail

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted message may lead to a denial of service

Description: an input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2019-8626: natashenka of Google Project Zero

Mail Message Framework

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution

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

CVE-2019-8613: natashenka of Google Project Zero

Messages

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted message may lead to a denial of service

Description: an input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2019-8664: natashenka of Google Project Zero

Messages

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: A remote attacker may be able to cause a system denial of service

Description: an input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2019-8573: natashenka of Google Project Zero

Messages

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted message may lead to a denial of service

Description: an input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2019-8664: natashenka of Google Project Zero

MobileInstallation

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

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

Description: A validation issue existed in the handling of symlinks. This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks.

CVE-2019-8568: Dany Lisiansky (@DanyL931)

MobileLockdown

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to gain root privileges

Description: an input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2019-8637: Dany Lisiansky (@DanyL931)

SQLite

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: An application may be able to gain elevated privileges

Description: An input validation issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2019-8577: Omer Gull of Checkpoint Research

SQLite

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: A maliciously crafted SQL query may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2019-8600: Omer Gull of Checkpoint Research

SQLite

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: a malicious application may be able to read restricted memory

Description: an input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2019-8598: Omer Gull of Checkpoint Research

SQLite

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code.

CVE-2019-8602: Omer Gull of Checkpoint Research

sysdiagnose

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

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

Description: The issue was addressed with improved permissions logic.

CVE-2019-8574: Dayton Pidhirney (@_watbulb) of Seekintoo (@seekintoo)

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may result in the disclosure of process memory

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

CVE-2019-8607: Junho Jang and Hanul Choi of LINE Security Team

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

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

Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2019-8583: sakura of Tencent Xuanwu Lab, jessica (@babyjess1ca_) of Tencent Keen Lab, and dwfault working at ADLab of Venustech

CVE-2019-8601: Fluoroacetate working with Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative

CVE-2019-8622: Samuel Groß of Google Project Zero

CVE-2019-8623: Samuel Groß of Google Project Zero

Wi-Fi

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position can modify driver state

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

CVE-2019-8612: Milan Stute of Secure Mobile Networking Lab at Technische Universität Darmstadt

Wi-Fi

Available for: Apple Watch Series 1 and later

Impact: A device may be passively tracked by its Wi-Fi MAC address

Description: A user privacy issue was addressed by removing the broadcast MAC address.

CVE-2019-8620: David Kreitschmann and Milan Stute of Secure Mobile Networking Lab at Technische Universität Darmstadt

Additional recognition

Clang

We would like to acknowledge Brandon Azad of Google Project Zero for their assistance.

CoreAudio

We would like to acknowledge riusksk of VulWar Corp working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative for their assistance.

CoreFoundation

We would like to acknowledge Vozzie and Rami and m4bln, Xiangqian Zhang, Huiming Liu of Tencent's Xuanwu Lab for their assistance.

Kernel

We would like to acknowledge Brandon Azad of Google Project Zero and an anonymous researcher for their assistance.

MediaLibrary

We would like to acknowledge Angel Ramirez and Min (Spark) Zheng, Xiaolong Bai of Alibaba Inc. for their assistance.

MobileInstallation

We would like to acknowledge Yiğit Can YILMAZ (@yilmazcanyigit) for their assistance.