CVE-2021-1851 Privilege escalation in iOS and iPadOS
An application can execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges due to a logic issue in state management, affecting Apple operating systems.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2021-1851?
CVE-2021-1851 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 8 Sep 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in Security Update 2021-002 Catalina, Security Update 2021-003 Mojave, iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, tvOS 14.5, macOS Big Sur 11.3. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
Weakness: CWE-269
Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-1851?
It affects 6 products.
Products include Apple Ipados, Apple Iphone Os, Apple Mac Os X, Apple Macos, Apple Tvos, Apple Watchos.
How do I fix CVE-2021-1851?
No fix has been published for CVE-2021-1851 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2021-1851 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-1851 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Apple Ipados
- CVE-2025-43300 Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Out-of-Bounds Write
- CVE-2025-24201 Apple Multiple Products WebKit Out-of-Bounds Write
- CVE-2025-24085 Apple Multiple Products Use-After-Free
- CVE-2025-31200 Apple Multiple Products Memory Corruption
- CVE-2025-31201 Apple Multiple Products Arbitrary Read and Write
Sources
Also known as GHSA-mm72-4ppf-mcx7.