CVE-2016-1761
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 · uneditedlibxml2 in Apple iOS before 9.3, OS X before 10.11.4, and watchOS before 2.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted XML document.
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 confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in libxml2's XML parser allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service by sending a specially crafted XML document that triggers heap/stack corruption during parsing.
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<= 9.2.1<= 10.11.3<= 2.1CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
-
Identify your Apple device typeDetermine if the system is an iPhone, Mac, or Apple WatchAffected if Device is an iPhone, Mac, or Apple Watch running the affected OS versions
-
Check iOS version on iPhoneGo to Settings > General > About on iPhone and note the Version numberAffected if iOS version is 9.2.1 or earlier
-
Check macOS version on MacClick Apple menu > About This Mac to view the OS X versionAffected if OS X version is 10.11.3 or earlier
-
Check watchOS version on Apple WatchOpen the Watch app on paired iPhone, go to General > About to view watchOS versionAffected if watchOS version is 2.1 or earlier
-
Determine if libxml2 XML parsing is in useIdentify any applications or processes that parse untrusted XML documents, as the vulnerability triggers during XML parsingAffected if The system parses XML documents using the built-in libxml2 library
You are affected if you are running iOS 9.2.1 or earlier, OS X 10.11.3 or earlier, or watchOS 2.1 or earlier on a device that parses XML documents using libxml2.
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 affected Apple devices to iOS 9.3+, OS X 10.11.4+, or watchOS 2.2+ to patch the vulnerable libxml2 library.
iOS 9.3+, OS X 10.11.4+, watchOS 2.2+
- For iOS devices: Back up your iPhone/iPad, then go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 9.3 or later
- For Mac computers: Back up your Mac, then go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update and install OS X 10.11.4 or later, or manually download the update from support.apple.com
- For Apple Watch: Ensure the watch is charged, open the Watch app on paired iPhone, go to General > Software Update, and install watchOS 2.2 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-1761 — 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-2016-1761 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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