About the security content of watchOS 8

This document describes the security content of watchOS 8.

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

Released September 20, 2021

Accessory Manager

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

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

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

CVE-2021-30837: Siddharth Aeri (@b1n4r1b01)

Entry updated January 19, 2022

AppleMobileFileIntegrity

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A local attacker may be able to read sensitive information

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30811: an anonymous researcher working with Compartir

bootp

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A device may be passively tracked by its WiFi MAC address

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

CVE-2021-30866: Fabien Duchêne of UCLouvain (Belgium)

Entry added October 25, 2021

CoreAudio

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing a malicious audio file may result in unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution

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

CVE-2021-30834: JunDong Xie of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

Entry added October 25, 2021

CoreGraphics

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 was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2021-30928: Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro

Entry added January 19, 2022

FaceTime

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: An application with microphone permission may unexpectedly access microphone input during a FaceTime call

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-30882: Adam Bellard and Spencer Reitman of Airtime

Entry added October 25, 2021

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 input validation.

CVE-2021-30831: Xingwei Lin of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

Entry added October 25, 2021

FontParser

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

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

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30840: Xingwei Lin of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

Entry added October 25, 2021

FontParser

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

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

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30841: Xingwei Lin of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

CVE-2021-30842: Xingwei Lin of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

CVE-2021-30843: Xingwei Lin of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

Foundation

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-2021-30852: Yinyi Wu (@3ndy1) of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

Entry added October 25, 2021

ImageIO

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 was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2021-30814: hjy79425575

Entry added October 25, 2021

ImageIO

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

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

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30835: Ye Zhang of Baidu Security

CVE-2021-30847: Mike Zhang 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 race condition was addressed with improved locking.

CVE-2021-30857: Manish Bhatt of Red Team X @Meta, Zweig of Kunlun Lab

Entry updated May 25, 2022

libexpat

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

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

Description: This issue was addressed by updating expat to version 2.4.1.

CVE-2013-0340: an anonymous researcher

Preferences

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: An application may be able to access restricted files

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

CVE-2021-30855: Zhipeng Huo (@R3dF09) and Yuebin Sun (@yuebinsun2020) of Tencent Security Xuanwu Lab (xlab.tencent.com)

Preferences

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions

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

CVE-2021-30854: Zhipeng Huo (@R3dF09) and Yuebin Sun (@yuebinsun2020) of Tencent Security Xuanwu Lab (xlab.tencent.com)

Sandbox

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

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

Description: The issue was addressed with improved permissions logic.

CVE-2021-30925: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security

Entry added January 19, 2022

Sandbox

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: A malicious application may be able to modify protected parts of the file system

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30808: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security

Entry added October 25, 2021

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may reveal a user’s browsing history

Description: The issue was resolved with additional restrictions on CSS compositing.

CVE-2021-30884: an anonymous researcher

Entry added October 25, 2021

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 state handling.

CVE-2021-30818: Amar Menezes (@amarekano) of Zon8Research

Entry added October 25, 2021

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to bypass HSTS

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved restrictions.

CVE-2021-30823: David Gullasch of Recurity Labs

Entry added October 25, 2021

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted audio file may disclose restricted memory

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

CVE-2021-30836: Peter Nguyen Vu Hoang of STAR Labs

Entry added October 25, 2021

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-2021-30809: an anonymous researcher

Entry added October 25, 2021

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

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

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

CVE-2021-30846: Sergei Glazunov of Google Project Zero

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 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-2021-30849: Sergei Glazunov of Google Project Zero

WebKit

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

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

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

CVE-2021-30851: Samuel Groß of Google Project Zero

Wi-Fi

Available for: Apple Watch Series 3 and later

Impact: An attacker in physical proximity may be able to force a user onto a malicious Wi-Fi network during device setup

Description: An authorization issue was addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2021-30810: Peter Scott

Entry updated January 19, 2022

Additional recognition

bootp

We would like to acknowledge Alexander Burke of alexburke.ca for their assistance.

Entry added May 25, 2022

FaceTime

We would like to acknowledge Mohammed Waqqas Kakangarai for their assistance.

Entry added May 25, 2022

Kernel

We would like to acknowledge Joshua Baums of Informatik Baums for their assistance.

Entry added January 19, 2022

Sandbox

We would like to acknowledge Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security for their assistance.

UIKit

We would like to acknowledge Jason Rendel of Diligent for their assistance.

Entry added January 19, 2022

UIKit

We would like to acknowledge Jason Rendel of Diligent for their assistance.

Entry updated May 25, 2022

WebKit

We would like to acknowledge Nikhil Mittal (@c0d3G33k) for their assistance.

Entry added January 19, 2022

Wi-Fi

We would like to acknowledge Peter Scott for their assistance.

Entry added May 25, 2022

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Published Date: November 03, 2023