dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2022-32885

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.5 / 15.6 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 memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, macOS Monterey 12.5, Safari 15.6. 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

Memory corruption vulnerability in WebKit (Safari browser engine) and related Apple OS components. Processing maliciously crafted web content triggers the memory corruption, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected process.

MitigationApply available vendor updates: iOS 15.6+, iPadOS 15.6+, macOS Monterey 12.5+, or Safari 15.6+ on legacy macOS 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
SafariWeb browser
Affected:< 15.6
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 15.6
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.6
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 12.0.0, < 12.5

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. Identify the Apple platform in use
    Determine whether the system is running macOS, iOS, or iPadOS. On macOS, open Apple Menu > About This Mac. On iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > General > About.
    Affected if The device runs any of the affected platforms (macOS 12.0.0-12.4, iOS <15.6, iPadOS <15.6, or Safari <15.6)
  2. Check the installed macOS version
    On macOS, run 'sw_vers' in Terminal or view About This Mac. Look for the version number (e.g., 12.3, 12.4, 12.5).
    Affected if The version is 12.0.0, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, or 12.4 (versions 12.0.0 through 12.4.x are vulnerable)
  3. Check the Safari browser version
    Open Safari, go to Safari > About Safari. The version number displays next to the Safari name (e.g., 15.5, 15.6).
    Affected if Safari version is earlier than 15.6 (e.g., 15.4, 15.5)
  4. Check iOS or iPadOS version on mobile devices
    On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > About. Note the version number (e.g., 15.5, 15.6).
    Affected if iOS or iPadOS version is earlier than 15.6 (e.g., 15.4, 15.5)
  5. Verify if WebKit-based browsers are in use
    Any browser using the WebKit engine (including Safari, Chrome on iOS, or third-party browsers on iOS) shares this vulnerability. Check for Safari or other WebKit browsers installed.
    Affected if Safari or any WebKit-based browser is actively used on a vulnerable OS version

A user is affected if running macOS 12.0.0 through 12.4, iOS/iPadOS before 15.6, or Safari before 15.6 on any platform, as the memory corruption vulnerability in WebKit triggers when processing malicious web content.

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 12.5 / 15.6 or later
Fixed in 12.515.6
Interim mitigation

Apply available vendor updates: iOS 15.6+, iPadOS 15.6+, macOS Monterey 12.5+, or Safari 15.6+ on legacy macOS systems.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 15.6, iPadOS 15.6, macOS Monterey 12.5, Safari 15.6

  1. For iOS devices: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and update to iOS 15.6 or later
  2. For iPadOS devices: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and update to iPadOS 15.6 or later
  3. For macOS: Open System Preferences > Software Update and update to macOS Monterey 12.5 or later
  4. For Safari on older macOS: Update Safari through Mac App Store updates to Safari 15.6 or later
Caveat Standard Apple minor version updates typically have minimal breaking changes; backup device before updating as standard practice

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

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

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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-2022-32885 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