dbcve.org
IcloudApplication · Apple

CVE-2022-46693

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-12-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.2 / 13.1 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
An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in tvOS 16.2, iCloud for Windows 14.1, macOS Ventura 13.1, iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2, watchOS 9.2. Processing a maliciously crafted file 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 · moderate confidence

An out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Apple's file processing components allows a maliciously crafted file to trigger improper memory access, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is fixed through improved input validation in the cited updates.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patches (iOS 16.2+, iPadOS 16.2+, macOS Ventura 13.1+, watchOS 9.2+, tvOS 16.2+, iCloud for Windows 14.1+) to all affected devices. Avoid opening untrusted files until the update is applied.

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
IcloudApplication
Affected:< 14.1
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 16.2
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 16.2
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 13.1
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 16.2
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 9.2

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. Identify the Apple device or software product
    On iOS/iPadOS: Settings > General > About. On macOS: Apple menu > About This Mac. On watchOS: Settings > General > About. On tvOS: Settings > General > About. On iCloud for Windows: Open iCloud app and look for version info
    Affected if Any Apple product listed in the affected versions below
  2. Determine the installed version number
    Read the version number displayed in the About screen. For iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/tvOS, note both the version and build number. For macOS, note the version (e.g., Ventura 13.0) and build number
    Affected if Version cannot be determined or is not displayed
  3. Compare installed version against fixed versions
    Check if your version is below: iOS < 16.2, iPadOS < 16.2, macOS < 13.1, watchOS < 9.2, tvOS < 16.2, iCloud for Windows < 14.1
    Affected if Installed version is below the corresponding fixed version for your product
  4. Assess file processing exposure
    Determine if the device can open or process files from external or untrusted sources (email attachments, messaging apps, web downloads, file transfers)
    Affected if Device processes files from untrusted sources AND version is below fixed version

You are affected if your Apple product version is below the fixed version and the device can process external files, which is the typical default behavior for these products.

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 9.2 / 13.1 / 14.1 or later
Fixed in 9.213.114.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patches (iOS 16.2+, iPadOS 16.2+, macOS Ventura 13.1+, watchOS 9.2+, tvOS 16.2+, iCloud for Windows 14.1+) to all affected devices. Avoid opening untrusted files until the update is applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1, tvOS 16.2, watchOS 9.2, iCloud for Windows 14.1

  1. For iPhone/iPad: Upgrade to iOS 16.2 or iPadOS 16.2 via Settings > General > Software Update
  2. For Mac: Upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.1 via System Preferences > Software Update
  3. For Apple Watch: Upgrade to watchOS 9.2 via the Watch app on iPhone
  4. For Apple TV: Upgrade to tvOS 16.2 via Settings > System > Software Updates
  5. For Windows: Upgrade to iCloud for Windows 14.1 via the Microsoft Store or Apple website
Caveat Apple updates typically have minimal breaking changes but may require device restart and some older apps may not be compatible

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

Fix this in Icloud Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2022-46693 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