CriticalCVE-2022-32893

    Apple iOS and macOS Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability (CVE-2022-32893)

    Published In CISA KEV since Sources: SingCERT, Debian, CVE.org, Red Hat

    What is affected, what to do

    An out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Apple iOS and macOS allows for remote code execution when processing malicious web content. This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild, as confirmed by reports. Affected versions include iOS 15.6.1, iPadOS 15.6.1, and macOS Monterey 12.5.1. Users should urgently update to the specified patched versions to mitigate the risk.

    The vulnerability is being actively exploited; treat it as a priority. Update Apple Safari to version 15.6, Apple iOS and iPadOS to version 15.6, Apple macOS to version 12.5. Immediate actions, mitigation and detection rules are in the runbook below.

    Affected
    • Apple Safari lt *..15.6
    • Apple iOS and iPadOS lt *..15.6
    • Apple macOS lt *..12.5
    Fixed in
    • Apple Safari 15.6
    • Apple iOS and iPadOS 15.6
    • Apple macOS 12.5

    Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability

    Metrics

    8.8

    Priority

    XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

    Source: NVD, CVSS v3

    8.8

    CVSS v3

    Severity High on the scale from 0 to 10.

    Source: SingCERT, Debian, CVE.org, Red Hat

    9.9 %

    EPSS score

    Moderate — model estimates 1-10% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 95.6

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Critical
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    218.38 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    actively exploitedSource: Apple (CVE.org), CSA/SingCERT How we classify
    XIEM Effective CVSS

    XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.

    Read in glossary
    8.8 Methodology
    CVSS v3

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    8.8
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

    Read in glossary
    9.9 %
    Moderate — model estimates 1-10% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

    Read in glossary
    95.6
    Critical — this CVE ranks in the top fifth of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 80%).
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited
    Published
    In CISA KEV since

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    CISA assessment (SSVC)
    Exploitation: active · not automatable · Technical impact: total
    Source: CISA Vulnrichment, as of 29 January 2025
    CWE

    CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect.

    Read in glossary
    CWE-787

    Response and mitigation

    Why act now?

    Prioritisation rationale

    This is a WebKit memory-corruption bug that gives network-reachable code execution without authentication. The only precondition is that the victim loads crafted web content, and the impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is high. Bugs like this typically serve as the initial stage of exploit chains aimed at exposed individuals such as executives, journalists or administrators. CISA reports no known ransomware use. Exploitation likelihood remains well above average. Because a fix has been available since 2022, any device still affected points to a gap in patch or MDM governance. Rate executive and admin mobile devices, plus unmanaged BYOD with access to corporate data, as high priority. Managed, current fleets can be closed out once compliance is verified.

    1. Runbook step 1

      Immediate response (0-24 h)

      • Deploy the vendor fix: update iOS and iPadOS to at least 15.6.1, macOS Monterey to at least 12.5.1, and standalone Safari to at least 15.6.1 on older macOS releases. Since this flaw dates from 2022, move the fleet to the current supported major release rather than just the minimum fixed build.
      • Pull an MDM inventory: query Jamf, Intune or Workspace ONE for Apple devices below those versions. Flag them non-compliant and block access to mail, VPN and SSO via Conditional Access until they are updated.
      • Check Debian hosts: on Debian 10, the affected components are the WebKitGTK packages, such as libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 and libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18. Run apt update && apt upgrade. Look up the fixed package version in the Debian Security Advisory or Debian Security Tracker entry for CVE-2022-32893.
      • Start with high-value users: patch devices belonging to executives, board members, admins, legal staff and frequent travellers first. Triage those devices for compromise as described under Detection rules.
      • Handle BYOD: send a security notice requiring an immediate update. Cut off corporate network and SaaS access for any device that cannot prove a compliant OS version.

    2. Runbook step 2

      Mitigation layers

      • Endpoint and configuration: on macOS, switching to Chrome or Firefox until patched reduces Safari exposure. Other WebKit consumers stay exposed, though, including Mail previews and WKWebView-based apps. On iOS and iPadOS, switching browsers gives no protection because every browser uses the system WebKit engine. Only the update helps there.
      • Network and proxy: route mobile web traffic through a secure web gateway or DNS filter. Block newly registered domains, "uncategorised" and "newly seen" categories, and URL shorteners for Apple devices, or open them through remote browser isolation.
      • IAM: enforce device-based Conditional Access with a minimum OS version as a hard condition. For non-compliant devices, revoke session tokens and force re-authentication.
      • Email and messaging: enable URL rewriting with time-of-click analysis. Warn staff about links arriving by SMS and messenger apps, a common delivery vector for mobile exploit chains.
      • Hardening: once devices run a current major release, enable Apple Lockdown Mode for high-risk individuals. It restricts the complex web features that browser exploits commonly abuse.

    3. Runbook step 3

      Detection rules

      • MDM and inventory compliance: run a daily report on devices with OSVersion < 15.6.1 (iOS/iPadOS) or < 12.5.1 (macOS Monterey). Sigma-style logic on the MDM export: product in (iOS, iPadOS) AND version < "15.6.1". Every hit is open exposure.
      • EDR process ancestry (macOS): shells or network tools spawned by the WebKit renderer strongly indicate code execution. KQL (Defender for Endpoint): DeviceProcessEvents | where InitiatingProcessFileName has "com.apple.WebKit.WebContent" and FileName in~ ("sh","bash","zsh","curl","osascript","python3","perl")
      • Crash telemetry: watch for clusters of com.apple.WebKit.WebContent crash reports (.ips files in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports or ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports) shortly after users visit unfamiliar URLs. Failed exploit attempts often leave these crashes behind.
      • File and persistence events: use ESF/EDR to alert on new LaunchAgents or LaunchDaemons (~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons) created shortly after a browser session. Also alert on WebContent writing outside its sandbox.
      • iOS forensics and network: on suspect iOS devices, scan a backup with the Mobile Verification Toolkit (MVT) against published IOCs. In proxy and Zeek logs (dns.log, ssl.log), hunt for Apple devices contacting rare, short-lived domains immediately after a link click.

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited: treat the vulnerability as a priority in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2. If it is exploited in your environment, check the reporting obligation under Art. 23 (early warning within 24 hours).
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    Since 11.09.2026, manufacturers of affected products with digital elements must report actively exploited vulnerabilities under Art. 14 CRA, with an early warning within 24 hours via ENISA's single reporting platform.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.6.1 and iPadOS 15.6.1, macOS Monterey 12.5.1, Safari 15.6.1. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

    Source: CSA/SingCERT, Debian Security Advisories, NVD (NIST), CISA KEV Catalog, CVE.org (MITRE), cvelistv5, redhat_csaf

    Affected products

    The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

    Affected products
    Affected versionsFixed in
    AppleiOS and iPadOS
    • < 15.6
    • 15.6
    ApplemacOS
    • < 12.5
    • 12.5
    AppleSafari
    • < 15.6
    • 15.6
    applesafari
    • < 15.6.1
    • 15.6.1
    webkitgtkwebkitgtk
    • < 2.36.7
    • 2.36.7
    wpewebkitwpe_webkit
    • < 2.36.7
    • 2.36.7

    Vendors and products

    Affected operating systems

    Affected operating systems
    Linuxdebiandebian_linux10.0
    Linuxdebiandebian_linux11.0
    Linuxdebianwebkit2gtkbullseye
    Linuxdebianwpewebkitbullseye
    macOSapplemacos—
    Mobileappleiphone_os—
    Otherfedoraprojectfedora35
    Otherfedoraprojectfedora36
    Otherappleipados—

    Weakness classes (CWE)

    • CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write

      Base

      The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

      Entry at MITRE CWE-787

    Public exploit references

    Publicly reported proof-of-concepts, exploit modules and detection templates for this vulnerability. NEOSEC links to the original sources only and does not provide any exploit code.

    Public exploit references
    CISA KEV CatalogCISA Known Exploited Vulnerability (opens in a new tab)cisa.govactively exploited
    Apple (CVE.org)CVE.org (MITRE) (opens in a new tab)actively exploited
    CSA/SingCERTActive Exploitation of Vulnerabilities in Apple, Google, Microsoft, Palo Alto and SAP products (opens in a new tab)CSA/SingCERTactively exploited
    CSA/SingCERTZero-Day Vulnerabilities in Apple Products (opens in a new tab)CSA/SingCERTactively exploited

    References & sources

    • support.apple.comen-us/HT213414Vendor advisory
    • support.apple.comen-us/HT213412Vendor advisory
    • support.apple.comen-us/HT213413Vendor advisory
    • openwall.com[oss-security] 20220825 WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit Security Advisory WSA-2022-0008Mailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • openwall.com[oss-security] 20220826 Re: WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit Security Advisory WSA-2022-0008Mailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • lists.fedoraproject.orgFEDORA-2022-eada5f24a0Vendor advisory, Broken link
    • debian.orgDSA-5220Vendor advisory, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • debian.orgDSA-5219Vendor advisory, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • openwall.com[oss-security] 20220829 Re: WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit Security Advisory WSA-2022-0008Mailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • openwall.com[oss-security] 20220829 Re: WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit Security Advisory WSA-2022-0008Mailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • lists.debian.org[debian-lts-announce] 20220830 [SECURITY] [DLA 3087-1] webkit2gtk security updateMailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • security.gentoo.orgGLSA-202208-39Vendor advisory, Third-party advisory
    • seclists.org20220831 APPLE-SA-2022-08-31-1 iOS 12.5.6Mailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • openwall.com[oss-security] 20220902 Re: WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit Security Advisory WSA-2022-0008Mailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • lists.fedoraproject.orgFEDORA-2022-ddfeee50c9Vendor advisory, Broken link
    • openwall.com[oss-security] 20220913 Re: WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit Security Advisory WSA-2022-0008Mailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • seclists.org20221030 APPLE-SA-2022-10-27-13 watchOS 9Mailing list, Mailing list, Third-party advisory
    • cisa.govknown-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2022-32893government-resource, US government resource
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