dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2016-7613

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-02-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 10.12.0 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.1 is affected. macOS before 10.12.1 is affected. tvOS before 10.0.1 is affected. watchOS before 3.1 is affected. The issue involves the "Kernel" component. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context via a crafted app that leverages object-lifetime mishandling during process spawning.

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

Kernel vulnerability in Apple iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS caused by object-lifetime mishandling during process spawning. Allows a crafted application to execute arbitrary code in a privileged (kernel) context, achieving privilege escalation.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied updates: iOS 10.1+, macOS 10.12.1+, tvOS 10.0.1+, or watchOS 3.1+. For enterprises, deploy patch management to ensure all affected devices are updated.

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:<= 10.0.0
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:<= 10.0.3
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:<= 10.12.0
WatchosOperating system
Affected:<= 2.2.2

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/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 checks

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

  1. Check iOS version on iPhone or iPad
    Go to Settings > General > About > Version, or run 'sw_vers' via terminal/SSH, or check via MDM/enterprise inventory
    Affected if Version is 10.0.3 or earlier (e.g., 10.0, 10.0.1, 10.0.2, 10.0.3)
  2. Check macOS version on Mac computers
    Go to Apple menu > About This Mac > Version, or run 'sw_vers' in Terminal
    Affected if Build version is 10.12.0 or earlier (e.g., 10.11.x, 10.12.0)
  3. Check watchOS version on Apple Watch
    Open Watch app on paired iPhone > My Watch > General > About, or check via paired device
    Affected if Version is 2.2.2 or earlier (e.g., 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2)
  4. Check Safari version on macOS or iOS
    Open Safari > Safari menu > About Safari, or check via 'safariversion' command on macOS, or check in Settings > Safari on iOS
    Affected if Version is 10.0.0 or earlier (note: Safari is the potential delivery vector for the crafted application)
  5. Identify if kernel extensions or untrusted applications can be executed
    Review system policies: on iOS check for enterprise app installation capability; on macOS check Gatekeeper settings (System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Allow apps downloaded from) and examine /System/Library/Extensions for unauthorized kernel extensions
    Affected if Device allows installation of apps from untrusted sources, or users have ability to run unverified executables that could contain the crafted application

You are affected if any device runs iOS 10.0.3 or earlier, macOS 10.12.0 or earlier, watchOS 2.2.2 or earlier, or Safari 10.0.0 or earlier, AND the device permits execution of untrusted applications or has enterprise app sideloading enabled.

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 10.12.0
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied updates: iOS 10.1+, macOS 10.12.1+, tvOS 10.0.1+, or watchOS 3.1+. For enterprises, deploy patch management to ensure all affected devices are updated.

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-7613 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2016-7613 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

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