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Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published Mar 20, 2013· Updated Apr 29, 2026

CVE-2013-0979

CVE-2013-0979

Description

lockdownd in iOS before 6.1.3 allows local users to change permissions of arbitrary files via a symlink in a backup restoration.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

lockdownd in iOS before 6.1.3 allows local users to change permissions of arbitrary files via a symlink in a backup restoration.

Vulnerability

lockdownd in Lockdown on Apple iOS before 6.1.3 does not properly consider file types during the permission-setting step of a backup restoration. When a backup contains a pathname that is a symlink, the daemon applies the intended permissions to the symlink target instead of the symlink itself, allowing an attacker to alter permissions of arbitrary files on the device. This affects all devices running iOS versions prior to 6.1.3.

Exploitation

A local user with the ability to create and restore a backup can exploit this vulnerability. The attacker crafts a backup that includes a pathname pointing to a symlink that resolves to a target file outside the intended backup scope. During restoration, lockdownd follows the symlink and sets the permissions specified in the backup on the target file. No additional authentication or user interaction beyond initiating the restore is required.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows a local user to change the permissions of arbitrary files on the device. This can lead to privilege escalation, as the attacker may grant themselves read, write, or execute access to sensitive system files, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the device.

Mitigation

Apple addressed this issue in iOS 6.1.3, released on March 19, 2013 [1]. Users should update to iOS 6.1.3 or later. No workarounds are documented, and the vulnerability is not listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

References
  1. About the security content of iOS 6.1.3 - Apple Support

AI Insight generated on May 24, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.

Affected products

73
  • Apple Inc./Iphone OS72 versions
    cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 71 more
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*range: <=6.1.2
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.0:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.2:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.3:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.4:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.5:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.0:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.1:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.2:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.1:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.2.1:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.2:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.0.1:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.0:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1.2:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1.3:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.2.1:-:ipad:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.2:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.0.1:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.0:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.5:-:ipad:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.5:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.0.1:-:ipad:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.0.1:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.0:-:ipad:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.0:-:ipodtouch:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:6.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:6.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • Apple Inc./iOSllm-fuzzy
    Range: <6.1.3

Patches

0

No patches discovered yet.

Vulnerability mechanics

AI mechanics synthesis has not run for this CVE yet.

References

2

News mentions

0

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