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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7578 Apple CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7578 is an Apple WebKit memory-corruption issue affecting multiple Apple products, including iOS, Safari, iCloud, iTunes, and tvOS. According to the NVD record, a crafted website could trigger remote code execution or a crash. The published CVSS score is 8.8 (High), reflecting network attackability and user interaction requirements.

Vendor
Apple
Product
Unknown
CVSS
HIGH 8.8
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

Organizations and individuals running affected Apple software should care, especially teams managing Safari browsing endpoints, iOS and tvOS devices, and systems using iCloud or iTunes. Security and endpoint management teams should prioritize patch deployment because exploitation can be delivered through web content.

Technical summary

The NVD record classifies the issue as CWE-119 and describes a WebKit memory-corruption condition. The attack vector is network-based, with low complexity and no privileges required, but it does require user interaction via a crafted website. Impact is rated high for confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and affected versions include iOS before 10.1, Safari before 10.0.1, iCloud before 6.0.1, iTunes before 12.5.2, and tvOS before 10.0.1.

Defensive priority

High. This is a remotely reachable browser-engine flaw with potential code execution and broad impact across Apple platforms.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply Apple's security updates for the affected product lines as soon as possible.
  • Prioritize upgrades to iOS 10.1 or later, Safari 10.0.1 or later, iCloud 6.0.1 or later, iTunes 12.5.2 or later, and tvOS 10.0.1 or later.
  • Use the Apple vendor advisories listed in the record (HT207270 through HT207274) to confirm the correct remediation package for each product.
  • Monitor and reduce exposure to untrusted or unneeded web browsing on unpatched devices until updates are complete.
  • Track asset inventories for any Apple systems that may still run the affected versions and verify remediation after patching.

Evidence notes

All substantive claims are grounded in the supplied NVD record and its reference metadata. The record states the affected Apple products and fixed-version boundaries, identifies the weakness as CWE-119, and provides the CVSS vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Reference metadata also lists Apple vendor advisories (HT207270-HT207274) and third-party advisories (SecurityFocus BID 93949 and SecurityTracker 1037139). No advisory page contents were fetched beyond the supplied corpus metadata.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-7578 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7578

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-7578 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7578

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.