dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2022-26709

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-11-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.6 / 12.4 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in tvOS 15.5, iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6, macOS Monterey 12.4, Safari 15.5. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.

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

A use-after-free vulnerability in WebKit (the browser engine used by Safari) allows arbitrary code execution when processing maliciously crafted web content. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management and was patched in the listed Apple product updates.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security updates: iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6, macOS Monterey 12.4, and Safari 15.5. Prioritize updating devices that process untrusted web content.

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:< 15.5
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 15.5
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.5
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 12.0.0, < 12.4
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 15.5
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 8.6

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 Safari version on macOS, iOS, or iPadOS
    Open Safari and go to Safari > About Safari (macOS) or Settings > Safari > About (iOS/iPadOS). Note the version number displayed.
    Affected if The version is below 15.5 (for example, 15.4.x or earlier)
  2. Check macOS version
    Click the Apple menu > About This Mac. Note the macOS version number shown (for example, 12.3, 12.2, 12.1, etc.).
    Affected if The macOS version is 12.0.0 through 12.3.x (any version >= 12.0.0 but < 12.4)
  3. Check iOS version on iPhone or iPad
    Go to Settings > General > About. Note the iOS version number displayed.
    Affected if The iOS version is below 15.5 (for example, 15.4, 15.3, etc.)
  4. Check iPadOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About. Note the iPadOS version number displayed.
    Affected if The iPadOS version is below 15.5
  5. Check tvOS version on Apple TV
    Go to Settings > General > About > Version. Note the tvOS version number.
    Affected if The tvOS version is below 15.5
  6. Check watchOS version on Apple Watch
    Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > About. Note the watchOS version number.
    Affected if The watchOS version is below 8.6

You are affected if any Apple device (Safari, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS) running WebKit has a version number that falls within the vulnerable ranges listed for this CVE.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.6 / 12.4 / 15.5 or later
Fixed in 8.612.415.5
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied security updates: iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6, macOS Monterey 12.4, and Safari 15.5. Prioritize updating devices that process untrusted web content.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Safari 15.5, iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, tvOS 15.5, or watchOS 8.6 depending on device type

  1. Identify the affected Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV) and current OS version
  2. For iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and update to iOS/iPadOS 15.5 or later
  3. For Mac: Go to System Preferences > Software Update and update to macOS Monterey 12.4 or later
  4. For Apple Watch: Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to My Watch > General > Software Update and update to watchOS 8.6 or later
  5. For Apple TV: Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and update to tvOS 15.5 or later
  6. For Safari on older macOS: Update Safari through System Preferences > Software Update as part of the macOS update
Caveat Standard OS update risks - ensure backups exist before updating, some legacy software may be incompatible with newer OS versions

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.

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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-2022-26709 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