dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2024-40788

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-07-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.3 / 10.6 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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 type confusion issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.7.9 and iPadOS 16.7.9, iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6, macOS Monterey 12.7.6, macOS Sonoma 14.6, macOS Ventura 13.6.8, tvOS 17.6, visionOS 1.3, watchOS 10.6. A local attacker may be able to cause unexpected system shutdown.

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

This is a type confusion vulnerability in Apple's core operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS) where improper type validation leads to memory handling errors. A local attacker with physical access or authenticated shell access can exploit this to trigger an unexpected system shutdown, resulting in denial of service.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security updates: iOS 16.7.9/17.6, iPadOS 16.7.9/17.6, macOS Monterey 12.7.6/Ventura 13.6.8/Sonoma 14.6, tvOS 17.6, visionOS 1.3, and watchOS 10.6. Prioritize updating mobile devices and systems with physical access exposure.

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:< 16.7.9>= 17.0, < 17.6
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 16.7.9>= 17.0, < 17.6
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 12.7.6>= 13.0, < 13.6.8>= 14.0, < 14.6
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 17.6
VisionosOperating system
Affected:< 1.3
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 10.6

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 your Apple device and operating system
    Determine whether the device runs iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, or watchOS. On macOS, run 'sw_vers' in Terminal. On iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > General > About. On tvOS/watchOS/visionOS, go to Settings > General > About.
    Affected if The device runs any of the affected operating systems listed in the CVE.
  2. Check the installed iOS or iPadOS version
    On iOS/iPadOS, navigate to Settings > General > About and note the Version number. Compare it against the affected ranges: < 16.7.9, or >= 17.0 and < 17.6.
    Affected if The installed version is 16.7.8 or earlier, or falls between 17.0 and 17.5.x.
  3. Check the installed macOS version
    In Terminal, run 'sw_vers -productVersion' or click the Apple menu > About This Mac. Compare against affected ranges: < 12.7.6, >= 13.0 and < 13.6.8, or >= 14.0 and < 14.6.
    Affected if The installed version is 12.7.5 or earlier, 13.0 through 13.6.7, or 14.0 through 14.5.
  4. Check the installed tvOS, visionOS, or watchOS version
    On the device, go to Settings > General > About and note the version number. Compare tvOS against < 17.6, visionOS against < 1.3, and watchOS against < 10.6.
    Affected if The tvOS version is earlier than 17.6, visionOS earlier than 1.3, or watchOS earlier than 10.6.
  5. Assess physical and shell access exposure
    Determine whether the device is in a location accessible to unauthorized physical attackers, or if remote authenticated shell access (SSH, etc.) is enabled. The vulnerability requires either physical access or authenticated shell access to exploit.
    Affected if The device has exposed physical ports in untrusted areas or has SSH/remote access enabled for untrusted users.

You are affected if your device runs any of the affected OS versions listed and has potential physical access or authenticated shell access exposure.

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 1.3 / 10.6 / 12.7.6 or later
Fixed in 1.310.612.7.6
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied security updates: iOS 16.7.9/17.6, iPadOS 16.7.9/17.6, macOS Monterey 12.7.6/Ventura 13.6.8/Sonoma 14.6, tvOS 17.6, visionOS 1.3, and watchOS 10.6. Prioritize updating mobile devices and systems with physical access exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 16.7.9/17.6, iPadOS 16.7.9/17.6, macOS 12.7.6/13.6.8/14.6, tvOS 17.6, visionOS 1.3, or watchOS 10.6 depending on device

  1. Identify the Apple device type (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro)
  2. Check current OS version via Settings > General (or System Preferences on Mac) > General > About
  3. For iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS/iPadOS 16.7.9 or iOS/iPadOS 17.6 depending on your device's compatibility
  4. For Mac: Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install macOS 12.7.6 (Monterey), 13.6.8 (Ventura), or 14.6 (Sonoma) depending on your Mac model
  5. For Apple TV: Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Update Software and install tvOS 17.6
  6. For Apple Watch: Open the Watch app on iPhone > My Watch > General > Software Update and install watchOS 10.6
  7. For Apple Vision Pro: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install visionOS 1.3
  8. Verify the update was successful by checking the OS version again
Caveat Ensure device has sufficient battery and storage before updating; some older devices may not support the newer OS versions

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

Fix this in Ipados 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-2024-40788 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