CVE-2016-4656
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 · uneditedThe kernel in Apple iOS before 9.3.5 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted app.
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 confidenceA kernel-level memory corruption vulnerability in Apple iOS before 9.3.5 allows a crafted app to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context (kernel mode) or cause a denial of service through memory corruption. This is a client-side vulnerability requiring user interaction to install a malicious app.
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< 9.3.5CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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.
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Identify iOS device in environmentInventory all mobile devices and determine which are Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) by checking device enrollment records, MDM console, or physical inspection of devicesAffected if Device is an Apple iOS device
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Retrieve installed iOS versionOn the iOS device, go to Settings > General > About, or query via MDM/Apple Configurator, or check device management console for the 'OS Version' fieldAffected if Version displays as a numeric iOS release (e.g., 9.3.4, 9.3.3, 9.2.x, etc.)
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Compare version against affected rangeTake the installed iOS version number and compare it to the threshold 9.3.5 - any version below 9.3.5 (such as 9.3.4, 9.3.3, 9.3.2, 9.3.1, 9.3, 9.2.x, 9.1, 9.0.x, 8.x, etc.) is within the affected rangeAffected if Installed version is less than 9.3.5 (e.g., 9.3.4, 9.2.1, 8.4.1)
The environment is affected if any managed or user-owned iOS devices are running a version lower than 9.3.5.
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 · scoped9.3.5
Update affected iOS devices to version 9.3.5 or later. Organizations should identify and remediate outdated iOS devices within their environment.
iOS 9.3.5 or later
- Back up your iOS device using iTunes or iCloud before updating
- Connect your device to power and ensure it is connected to WiFi
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update on the device
- Download and install iOS 9.3.5 or later
- After installation, verify the iOS version by going to Settings > General > About > Version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-4656 — 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-2016-4656 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