CVE-2015-6986
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 · uneditedcom.apple.driver.AppleVXD393 in the Graphics Driver subsystem in Apple iOS before 9.1 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted app that leverages an unspecified "type confusion."
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 confidenceType confusion vulnerability in Apple's AppleVXD393 graphics driver (com.apple.driver.AppleVXD393) in iOS versions prior to 9.1. A maliciously crafted app can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges by causing the graphics driver to misinterpret object types, leading to memory corruption.
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<= 9.0.2CVSS 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
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check iOS version on the deviceOn the iOS device, go to Settings > General > About and look at the 'Version' field. Alternatively, connect the device to a computer with iTunes or Finder, select the device, and view the iOS version in the device summary.Affected if The reported iOS version is 9.0.2 or earlier
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Confirm device can receive iOS 9.1Determine if the iOS device model supports iOS 9.1 or later. Check Apple's iOS compatibility information for the device. Older devices that stopped receiving updates before iOS 9.1 was released remain vulnerable.Affected if The device model cannot be updated to iOS 9.1 or later because Apple stopped providing iOS updates for that model prior to the 9.1 release
A user is affected if they are running iOS version 9.0.2 or earlier on a device that cannot be updated to iOS 9.1 or later.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpdate all affected iOS devices to version 9.1 or later. Apply Apple's official security patch through standard iOS update mechanisms.
iOS 9.1 or later
- 1. Ensure the iOS device is connected to Wi-Fi and has sufficient battery charge (or is plugged into power)
- 2. Open the Settings app on the iOS device
- 3. Navigate to General > Software Update
- 4. The device will check for available updates
- 5. If iOS 9.1 or later is available, tap 'Download and Install'
- 6. Enter the device passcode if prompted
- 7. Accept the terms and conditions
- 8. Wait for the download and installation to complete - the device will restart
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-6986 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-6986 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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