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Apple releases updates for macOS Mojave and Catalina with important security fixes

Along with macOS 11.5 being released, security updates have arrived for both macOS Catalina and Mojave. Fixes included are for flaws that could lead to malicious applications gaining root access, arbitrary code being executed with kernel privileges, and more.

There are 20+ security fixes for macOS Catalina and Mojave. For many users, the risk of these security issues may be low but with some being potentially serious these are important updates to install.

On your Mac head to System Preferences > Software Update or  > About This Mac > Software Update to see if the updates are ready for you.

Here’s a look at all the security fixes for macOS Catalina:

AMD Kernel

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30805: ABC Research s.r.o

AppKit

Available for: macOS Catalina

Impact: Opening a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution

Description: An information disclosure issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code.

CVE-2021-30790: hjy79425575 working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative

Audio

Available for: macOS Catalina

Impact: A local attacker may be able to cause unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30781: tr3e

Bluetooth

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30672: say2 of ENKI

CoreAudio

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30775: JunDong Xie of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

CoreAudio

Available for: macOS Catalina

Impact: Playing a malicious audio file may lead to an unexpected application termination

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-30776: JunDong Xie of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

CoreStorage

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

Description: An injection issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-30777: Tim Michaud(@TimGMichaud) of Zoom Video Communications and Gary Nield of ECSC Group plc

CoreText

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30789: Sunglin of Knownsec 404 team, Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro

CoreText

Available for: macOS Catalina

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-2021-30733: Sunglin from the Knownsec 404

CVMS

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30780: Tim Michaud(@TimGMichaud) of Zoom Video Communications

dyld

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-30768: Linus Henze (pinauten.de)

FontParser

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30760: Sunglin of Knownsec 404 team

FontParser

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

Description: A stack overflow was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2021-30759: hjy79425575 working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative

FontParser

Available for: macOS Catalina

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted tiff file may lead to a denial-of-service or potentially disclose memory contents

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30788: tr3e working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative

ImageIO

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

Description: A buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking.

CVE-2021-30785: Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro, CFF of Topsec Alpha Team

Intel Graphics Driver

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30787: Anonymous working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative

Intel Graphics Driver

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30765: Liu Long of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

CVE-2021-30766: Liu Long of Ant Security Light-Year Lab

IOUSBHostFamily

Available for: macOS Catalina

Impact: An unprivileged application may be able to capture USB devices

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30731: UTM (@UTMapp)

Kernel

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30703: an anonymous researcher

Kernel

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30793: Zuozhi Fan (@pattern_F_) of Ant Security TianQiong Lab

LaunchServices

Available for: macOS Catalina

Impact: A malicious application may be able to break out of its sandbox

Description: This issue was addressed with improved environment sanitization.

CVE-2021-30677: Ron Waisberg (@epsilan)

LaunchServices

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

Description: An access issue was addressed with improved access restrictions.

CVE-2021-30783: Ron Waisberg (@epsilan)

Model I/O

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-30796: Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro

Sandbox

Available for: macOS Catalina

Impact: A malicious application may be able to access restricted files

Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2021-30782: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security

WebKit

Available for: macOS Catalina

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

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

CVE-2021-30799: Sergei Glazunov of Google Project Zero

Additional recognition

configd

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

CoreServices

We would like to acknowledge Zhongcheng Li (CK01) for their assistance.

CoreText

We would like to acknowledge Mickey Jin (@patch1t) of Trend Micro for their assistance.

Crash Reporter

We would like to acknowledge  Yizhuo Wang of Group of Software Security In Progress (G.O.S.S.I.P) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University for their assistance.

crontabs

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

IOKit

We would like to acknowledge George Nosenko for their assistance.

libxml2

We would like to acknowledge  for their assistance.

Spotlight

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

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Avatar for Michael Potuck Michael Potuck

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.


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