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CVE-2016-7588 Apple CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7588 describes a memory corruption issue in Apple’s CoreMedia Playback component that can be triggered by a crafted MP4 file. The impact is serious because it may allow remote code execution or a denial of service through an application crash. The supplied record set ties the issue to Apple platform updates and lists it as CVSS 8.8 / HIGH.

Vendor
Apple
Product
CVE-2016-7588
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

Apple device administrators, enterprise mobility teams, and users of affected iOS, macOS, and watchOS releases should treat this as a high-priority media-parsing vulnerability. It is most relevant anywhere untrusted MP4 content may be opened, previewed, or processed on Apple devices.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is classified by NVD as CWE-119 (improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer). The CVE description says a crafted MP4 can cause memory corruption in CoreMedia Playback, leading to arbitrary code execution or a crash. NVD lists a network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and user interaction required (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Defensive priority

High. The issue is remotely reachable in the sense that malicious media can be delivered over network channels, and the potential impact includes code execution with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability consequences.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Install the Apple updates that remediate the issue for all affected devices: iOS 10.2 or later, macOS 10.12.2 or later, and watchOS 3.1.3 or later, as reflected in the supplied CVE description.
  • Prioritize patching devices that open or process untrusted media from email, messaging, web, or shared storage sources.
  • Verify deployment status across managed fleets and confirm no devices remain on vulnerable releases.
  • Monitor for unexpected media-related application crashes as an indicator of exposure before remediation is complete.

Evidence notes

Evidence in the supplied corpus supports a CoreMedia Playback memory corruption flaw caused by crafted MP4 files, with remote code execution or denial-of-service impact. The NVD record classifies the weakness as CWE-119 and rates the issue CVSS 3.0 8.8 HIGH with AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The provided record also includes Apple vendor advisories as references. Note: the CVE description and the NVD CPE version cutoffs are slightly different in the supplied data, so the debrief reflects the record set without resolving that discrepancy beyond what is explicitly provided.

Official resources

The CVE record was published on 2017-02-20, which is the appropriate disclosure date to use here. The source data was later modified on 2026-05-13, but that is not the vulnerability issue date.