CVE-2022-26739
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 · uneditedAn out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in tvOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
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 confidenceAn out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the kernel allows a malicious application to write data beyond allocated memory boundaries, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with kernel-level privileges. The issue was addressed through improved bounds checking in the affected Apple operating systems.
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< 15.5< 15.5>= 12.0, < 12.4< 15.5CVSS 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.
-
Check iOS version on iPhoneGo to Settings > General > About > Version, or run 'nsurlsessiond' or check /System/Library/CoreServices/Settings.app/iPhoneOSVersion.plistAffected if Version is less than 15.5 (e.g., 15.4, 15.3, etc.)
-
Check iPadOS version on iPadGo to Settings > General > About > Version, or check /System/Library/CoreServices/Settings.app/iPhoneOSVersion.plistAffected if Version is less than 15.5
-
Check tvOS version on Apple TVGo to Settings > General > About > Version, or use the remote to navigate to the version displayAffected if Version is less than 15.5
-
Check macOS version on MacRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal, or go to Apple menu > About This MacAffected if Version is 12.0, 12.1, 12.2, or 12.3 (12.4 and later are fixed)
-
Verify kernel patch availabilityCheck Apple security advisories for CVE-2022-26739 fix inclusion in the current OS versionAffected if The installed version does not include the fix for this kernel bounds checking issue
The device is affected if it runs iOS/iPadOS/tvOS below 15.5, or macOS Monterey between 12.0 and 12.3 inclusive.
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 · scoped12.415.5
Apply the available OS updates (tvOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5) to all affected devices to patch the kernel vulnerability.
iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, tvOS 15.5 (depending on device)
- For iPhone and iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS/iPadOS 15.5
- For Mac: Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install macOS Monterey 12.4
- For Apple TV: Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and install tvOS 15.5
- After updating, verify the update was successful by checking the version number in Settings > General > About
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-26739 — 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-2022-26739 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