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SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2015-5791

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-09-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 12.2 or later.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
WebKit, as used in JavaScriptCore in Apple iOS before 9 and iTunes before 12.3, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted web site, a different vulnerability than other WebKit CVEs listed in APPLE-SA-2015-09-16-1 and APPLE-SA-2015-09-16-3.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Memory corruption vulnerability in WebKit's JavaScriptCore engine affecting iOS before version 9 and iTunes before version 12.3. Remote attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution or cause denial of service (application crash) by tricking users into visiting specially crafted malicious websites.

MitigationUpdate affected devices to iOS 9 or later and iTunes 12.3 or later to obtain the patched WebKit/JavaScriptCore components. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider restricting browser usage or employing browser isolation as a compensating control.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
SafariWeb browser
Affected:<= 8.0.8
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:<= 8.4.1
ItunesApplication
Affected:<= 12.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check iOS version on iPhone/iPad
    On the device, go to Settings > General > About and look at the Version field. Alternatively, connect the device to a computer and use idevicesysinfo command or check in iTunes device summary.
    Affected if The version displayed is 8.4.1 or earlier (for example, 8.0, 8.3, 8.4).
  2. Check iTunes version on Windows or Mac
    Open iTunes, then go to Help > About iTunes. The version number is displayed in the dialog window.
    Affected if The version shown is 12.2 or earlier (for example, 12.0, 12.1, 12.2).
  3. Check Safari version on OS X
    Open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, then select About Safari. The version number is displayed in the window.
    Affected if The version shown is 8.0.8 or earlier. Note that Safari version is tied to the OS X version; verify the Safari version specifically rather than the OS version.
  4. Confirm WebKit JavaScriptCore is in use
    This vulnerability exists in the WebKit rendering engine used by Safari. Any use of Safari on an affected iOS version (8.4.1 or earlier) or Safari 8.0.8 or earlier means the vulnerable JavaScriptCore component is active.
    Affected if Safari is being used on an affected iOS or OS X version listed above.
  5. Identify browser usage patterns
    Review logs or network traffic for evidence of users visiting untrusted or malicious websites, as the exploit requires tricking users into visiting specially crafted malicious pages.
    Affected if Users have accessed or are likely to access untrusted websites from affected devices.

A user is affected if they are running Safari, iOS, or iTunes at versions equal to or lower than the affected ranges (iOS <= 8.4.1, iTunes <= 12.2, Safari <= 8.0.8) and use the browser to visit websites.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 12.2
Interim mitigation

Update affected devices to iOS 9 or later and iTunes 12.3 or later to obtain the patched WebKit/JavaScriptCore components. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider restricting browser usage or employing browser isolation as a compensating control.

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-5791 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data