dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2022-32899

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-11-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.0 / 13.0 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
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.7 and iPadOS 15.7, iOS 16, macOS Ventura 13, watchOS 9. 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 · moderate confidence

Kernel-level memory handling vulnerability allowing a malicious application to escalate privileges from userland to kernel mode, achieving arbitrary code execution with highest system privileges.

MitigationApply vendor security updates: iOS 15.7/16, iPadOS 15.7/16, macOS Ventura 13, and watchOS 9. Prioritize endpoints based on exposure and criticality.

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
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 15.7
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.7
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 13.0
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 9.0

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:3.1/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 checks

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

  1. Check iOS version on iPhone or iPad
    Open Settings > General > About and look at the 'Version' field. Compare the numeric version (e.g., 15.6.1) against the affected range of < 15.7.
    Affected if The version shown is below 15.7 (such as 15.6, 15.5, 15.4, etc.)
  2. Check macOS version on Mac
    Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select 'About This Mac', and note the version number displayed under the macOS name (e.g., 12.5).
    Affected if The version shown is below 13.0 (such as 12.5, 12.4, 11.x, etc.)
  3. Check watchOS version on Apple Watch
    Open the Watch app on a paired iPhone, go to General > About, and read the 'watchOS' version entry. Alternatively, check on the Watch itself via Settings > General > About.
    Affected if The version shown is below 9.0 (such as 8.7, 8.6, etc.)
  4. Verify kernel code execution exposure
    This vulnerability requires a malicious application to execute on the device. Review installed applications from unknown or untrusted sources, and check if 'Developer Mode' or sideloaded apps are enabled on iOS/iPadOS devices.
    Affected if The device has sideloaded applications or Developer Mode enabled, increasing the attack surface for userland-to-kernel exploitation.

A device is affected if it runs any iOS/iPadOS version below 15.7, macOS below 13.0, or watchOS below 9.0, particularly if it permits third-party applications or developer features that could trigger the privilege escalation path.

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 9.0 / 13.0 / 15.7 or later
Fixed in 9.013.015.7
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor security updates: iOS 15.7/16, iPadOS 15.7/16, macOS Ventura 13, and watchOS 9. Prioritize endpoints based on exposure and criticality.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 15.7/iPadOS 15.7, iOS 16, macOS Ventura 13.0, or watchOS 9 (depending on device type)

  1. Back up your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac before updating
  2. For iOS/iPadOS: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and download/install iOS 15.7 or iPadOS 15.7 (or iOS 16 if eligible)
  3. For macOS: Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install macOS Ventura 13.0
  4. For Apple Watch: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install watchOS 9
  5. After updating, verify the version in Settings > General > About to confirm the fix is applied
Caveat Major OS version upgrades (e.g., to iOS 16 or macOS Ventura) may have app compatibility or workflow changes; iOS 15.7 provides the fix without requiring a major OS jump

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,800
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2022-32899 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