CVE-2022-32949
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 · uneditedThis issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.7.1 and iPadOS 15.7.1, tvOS 16. 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 confidenceA kernel privilege escalation vulnerability in iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS that allows a malicious application to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges, bypassing the standard application sandbox. The issue was addressed with improved checks 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< 15.7.1< 15.7.1< 16.0CVSS 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.
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Identify your device typeDetermine if you are using an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. On the device, go to Settings > General > About to see the model name.Affected if Device is an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV running iOS, iPadOS, or tvOS respectively
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Check iOS or iPadOS version on iPhone or iPadOn iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > About and look at the 'Version' field. Note the full version number displayed (for example, 15.7 or 15.6.1).Affected if This check applies to iPhone and iPad devices. Continue to version comparison.
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Check tvOS version on Apple TVOn Apple TV, go to Settings > General > About > Version. Note the software version displayed.Affected if This check applies only to Apple TV devices. Continue to version comparison.
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Compare installed version against affected rangesFor iPhone/iPad: compare your installed iOS/iPadOS version to 15.7.1. For Apple TV: compare your installed tvOS version to 16.0. Use numeric version comparison where a lower version number indicates the update has not been applied.Affected if iOS or iPadOS version is below 15.7.1, or tvOS version is below 16.0 - indicating the security patch for CVE-2022-32949 has not been applied
Your device is affected by CVE-2022-32949 if it runs iOS or iPadOS version lower than 15.7.1, or tvOS version lower than 16.0, as these versions lack the improved kernel privilege escalation checks.
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 · scoped15.7.116.0
Update affected devices to iOS 15.7.1/iPadOS 15.7.1 or later, or tvOS 16 or later, to apply Apple's security patches.
iOS 15.7.1, iPadOS 15.7.1, tvOS 16
- Back up your device data before performing the update
- On iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and download/install iOS 15.7.1 or iPadOS 15.7.1
- On Apple TV: Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and download/install tvOS 16
- Ensure the device remains connected to power during the update process
- After updating, verify the version in Settings > General > About
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-32949 — 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-2022-32949 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
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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