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IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2022-42840

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-12-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.7.2 / 12.6.2 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 macOS Monterey 12.6.2, macOS Ventura 13.1, macOS Big Sur 11.7.2, iOS 15.7.2 and iPadOS 15.7.2, iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2. 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 confidence

A memory handling vulnerability in Apple kernel components allows a malicious application to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level access. This is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting macOS Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura and iOS/iPadOS prior to the patched versions.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied OS updates: macOS Big Sur 11.7.2, Monterey 12.6.2, Ventura 13.1, iOS 15.7.2/16.2 and corresponding iPadOS versions. In enterprise environments, validate application compatibility before deploying OS updates.

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:< 15.7.2>= 16.0, < 16.2
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.7.2>= 16.0, < 16.2
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 11.0, < 11.7.2>= 12.0.0, < 12.6.2= 13.0

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 macOS version on Macs
    Open Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version returned is 11.0 to 11.7.1, 12.0.0 to 12.6.1, or exactly 13.0
  2. Check iOS version on iPhones
    Open Settings > General > About on the device and note the version number
    Affected if The version is 15.7.1 or earlier, or 16.0 to 16.1 (16.2 is not affected)
  3. Check iPadOS version on iPads
    Open Settings > General > About on the device and note the version number
    Affected if The version is 15.7.1 or earlier, or 16.0 to 16.1 (16.2 is not affected)
  4. Confirm kernel-level access is relevant
    This is a privilege escalation requiring a malicious application to already be executed. Verify if your security policy permits only signed/trusted applications.
    Affected if Untrusted or unsigned applications can run on the device, making kernel exposure possible

Your environment is affected if the installed macOS version is 11.0-11.7.1, 12.0.0-12.6.1, or 13.0; or iOS/iPadOS is 15.7.1 or earlier, or 16.0-16.1.

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 11.7.2 / 12.6.2 / 15.7.2 or later
Fixed in 11.7.212.6.215.7.2
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied OS updates: macOS Big Sur 11.7.2, Monterey 12.6.2, Ventura 13.1, iOS 15.7.2/16.2 and corresponding iPadOS versions. In enterprise environments, validate application compatibility before deploying OS updates.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Big Sur 11.7.2, macOS Monterey 12.6.2, macOS Ventura 13.1, iOS 15.7.2, iPadOS 15.7.2, iOS 16.2, or iPadOS 16.2 depending on product line

  1. Identify the current installed version of macOS, iOS, or iPadOS on the affected device
  2. For macOS Big Sur (11.x): Upgrade to macOS Big Sur 11.7.2 via System Preferences > Software Update
  3. For macOS Monterey (12.x): Upgrade to macOS Monterey 12.6.2 via System Preferences > Software Update
  4. For macOS Ventura (13.0): Upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.1 via System Preferences > Software Update
  5. For iOS/iPadOS 15.x: Upgrade to iOS 15.7.2 / iPadOS 15.7.2 via Settings > General > Software Update
  6. For iOS/iPadOS 16.0-16.1: Upgrade to iOS 16.2 / iPadOS 16.2 via Settings > General > Software Update
  7. Verify the device is running a patched version after updating
Caveat Standard Apple OS upgrades may have compatibility impacts with older applications; test critical workflows before production deployment

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

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-2022-42840 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