CVE-2021-30665

Out-of-bounds Write in A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management

Verified by Precogs Threat Research
Last Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Base Score
8.8HIGH

Executive Summary

CVE-2021-30665 is a high severity vulnerability affecting binary-analysis. It is classified as Out-of-bounds Write. This vulnerability is actively being exploited in the wild.

Precogs AI Insight

"A memory corruption vulnerability in WebKit allows remote code execution via crafted web content. Attackers deploy exploit chains to silently compromise devices navigating to malicious URLs. Precogs Binary SAST intercepts unsafe memory operations in JIT compilation."

Exploit Probability (EPSS)
Low (0.6%)
Public POC
Available
Exploit Probability
Elevated (52%)
Public POC
Actively Exploited
Affected Assets
binary analysisCWE-787

What is this vulnerability?

CVE-2021-30665 is categorized as a high Out-of-bounds Write flaw with a CVSS base score of 8.8. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.

A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in watchOS 7.4.1, iOS 14.5.1 and iPadOS 14.5.1, tvOS 14.6, iOS 12.5.3, macOS Big Sur 11.3.1. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited..

This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.

Risk Assessment

MetricValue
CVSS Base Score8.8 (HIGH)
Vector StringCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
PublishedSeptember 8, 2021
Last ModifiedOctober 23, 2025
Related CWEsCWE-787, CWE-787

Impact on Systems

Remote Code Execution: Attackers can overwrite the instruction pointer to redirect execution to malicious shellcode.

Memory Corruption: Overwriting adjacent memory regions can corrupt critical application state, leading to privilege escalation.

Denial of Service: Triggering segmentation faults results in immediate disruption of critical systems.

How to Fix and Mitigate CVE-2021-30665

  1. Apply Vendor Patches Immediately: This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Apply updates per vendor instructions.
  2. Verify Patch Deployment: Confirm all instances are updated using Precogs continuous monitoring.
  3. Review Audit Logs: Investigate historical access logs for indicators of compromise related to this attack surface.
  4. Implement Defense-in-Depth: Deploy WAF rules, network segmentation, and endpoint detection to limit blast radius.

Defending with Precogs AI

A memory corruption vulnerability in WebKit allows remote code execution via crafted web content. Attackers deploy exploit chains to silently compromise devices navigating to malicious URLs. Precogs Binary SAST intercepts unsafe memory operations in JIT compilation.

Use Precogs to continuously scan your codebase, binaries, APIs, and infrastructure for this vulnerability class and related attack patterns. Our AI-powered detection engine combines static analysis with threat intelligence to identify exploitable weaknesses before attackers do.

Start scanning with Precogs →

Vulnerability Code Signature

Attack Data Flow

StageDetail
SourceNetwork packet or file input
VectorData exceeds the allocated buffer bounds during a copy operation
Sinkstrcpy(), memcpy(), or pointer arithmetic
ImpactMemory corruption, Remote Code Execution (RCE)

Vulnerable Code Pattern

// ❌ VULNERABLE: Out-of-bounds write
void process_data(char *input) {
    char buffer[64];
    // Taint sink: copies without bounds checking
    strcpy(buffer, input);
}

Secure Code Pattern

// ✅ SECURE: Bounded copy
void process_data(char *input) {
    char buffer[64];
    // Sanitized boundary check
    strncpy(buffer, input, sizeof(buffer) - 1);
    buffer[sizeof(buffer) - 1] = '\0';
}

How Precogs Detects This

Precogs Binary SAST engine explicitly uncovers memory boundary violations and unsafe memory management functions in compiled binaries.\n

Related Vulnerabilitiesvia CWE-787

Is your system affected?

Precogs AI detects CVE-2021-30665 in compiled binaries, LLMs, and application layers — even without source code access.