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CVE-2016-4780 Apple CVE debrief

CVE-2016-4780 affects Apple macOS versions before 10.12.1 in the Thunderbolt component. According to NVD, a crafted app can trigger either arbitrary code execution in a privileged context or a denial of service through a NULL pointer dereference. Apple’s advisory is referenced by NVD, and the issue is rated HIGH severity.

Vendor
Apple
Product
CVE-2016-4780
CVSS
HIGH 7.8
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-20
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-20
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

macOS administrators, endpoint security teams, and users running Apple systems on macOS 10.12.0 or earlier should care most. Legacy systems that cannot be quickly upgraded deserve immediate attention because the vulnerable condition is version-based and tied to local execution with user interaction.

Technical summary

NVD maps the affected product scope to macOS (Apple Mac OS X CPE) through version 10.12.0, with the issue fixed in 10.12.1 and later. The flaw is associated with the Thunderbolt component and CWE-476 (NULL pointer dereference). NVD’s CVSS v3 vector reflects local access, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and required user interaction (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Defensive priority

High. The CVSS score is 7.8, and the potential impact includes privileged code execution, which warrants prompt patching of any exposed legacy macOS systems even though the attack requires local execution and user interaction.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Update affected Macs to macOS 10.12.1 or later.
  • Inventory fleets for any systems still on macOS 10.12.0 or earlier.
  • Review Apple’s referenced security advisory for product-specific remediation guidance.
  • Treat unpatched legacy Macs as priority remediation targets until they are updated or retired.

Evidence notes

This debrief is based on the supplied NVD record and the vendor advisory reference metadata. The corpus provides the vulnerability description, affected version boundary, CVSS vector, and CWE mapping, but not the body of the Apple advisory page itself.

Official resources

Publicly disclosed in the CVE record on 2017-02-20. The supplied NVD entry was last modified on 2026-05-13; that modified date is not the vulnerability date.