CVE-2022-32860
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 was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, macOS Monterey 12.5, macOS Big Sur 11.6.8. An app 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 Apple operating systems allows a malicious application to achieve kernel-level code execution. This privilege escalation occurs because the vulnerability exists in kernel-level components reachable by sandboxed applications.
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< 15.6< 15.6>= 11.0, < 11.6.8>= 12.0.0, < 12.5CVSS 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 and note the Version number, or run 'sw_vers' via terminal and look at the iOS versionAffected if Version is less than 15.6 (for example, 15.5, 15.4, etc.)
-
Check iPadOS version on iPadGo to Settings > General > About and note the Version number, or run 'sw_vers' via terminal and look at the iPadOS versionAffected if Version is less than 15.6 (for example, 15.5, 15.4, etc.)
-
Check macOS version on Mac systemsClick Apple menu > About This Mac to view the macOS version, or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if Version is 11.0 through 11.6.7 (Big Sur), or 12.0.0 through 12.4 (Monterey)
Your device is affected if it runs iOS/iPadOS below 15.6, or macOS 11.x below 11.6.8, or macOS 12.x below 12.5.
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 · scoped11.6.812.515.6
Apply the vendor-supplied updates: upgrade to iOS 15.6+/iPadOS 15.6+ for mobile devices, or macOS Monterey 12.5+/Big Sur 11.6.8+ for Mac systems. In enterprise environments, coordinate patching across all managed devices to ensure complete coverage.
iOS 15.6+ / iPadOS 15.6+ / macOS Big Sur 11.6.8+ / macOS Monterey 12.5+
- Identify the affected device type (iPhone, iPad, or Mac)
- Check the current installed iOS/iPadOS version by going to Settings > General > About on iPhone/iPad, or System Preferences > About on macOS
- For iPhone or iPad: Ensure the device is connected to Wi-Fi and plugged into power, then go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS/iPadOS 15.6 or later
- For Mac: Open System Preferences (or System Settings on newer macOS), go to Software Update, and install macOS Monterey 12.5 or later, or macOS Big Sur 11.6.8 or later if running Big Sur
- After update completes, verify the new version is installed by checking Settings > General > About (iOS/iPadOS) or System Preferences > About (macOS)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-32860 — 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-2022-32860 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