CVE-2021-30828

Root-level arbitrary file read via undisclosed CUPS checks

Published Oct 19, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Information disclosure in CUPS in Apple macOS allows local users to read arbitrary files with root privileges through unspecified input. Apple identifies the affected locus as CUPS but has not published which check accepted or mishandled attacker-controlled input. Exploitation requires local user access and yields reads of files otherwise protected by root ownership, with no reported write or code-execution impact.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in CUPS in Apple macOS allows local users to read arbitrary files with root privileges through unspecified input. Apple identifies the affected locus as CUPS but has not published which check accepted or mishandled attacker-controlled input. Exploitation requires local user access and yields reads of files otherwise protected by root ownership, with no reported write or code-execution impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-30828
Published
Oct 19, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-668, T1005
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 19, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <11.6
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <2021

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <11.6; version=unspecified <2021

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
4.9NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-668Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere
T1005Data from Local System

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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