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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7608 Apple CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7608 is a macOS information disclosure issue in Apple’s IOFireWireFamily component. According to NVD and Apple’s advisory reference, macOS versions before 10.12.2 are affected, and a local user could obtain sensitive information from kernel memory through unspecified vectors. The issue is rated medium severity and aligns with CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor).

Vendor
Apple
Product
CVE-2016-7608
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
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 anyone responsible for systems running macOS 10.12.1 or earlier. Because the issue is local and affects kernel memory disclosure, it is most relevant on shared, multi-user, or administratively exposed Macs.

Technical summary

NVD lists the vulnerable platform as macOS versions through 10.12.1 and identifies the affected component as IOFireWireFamily. The CVSS 3.0 vector is AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, reflecting a local attack that can expose high-confidentiality data without affecting integrity or availability. The weakness is categorized as CWE-200. Apple’s referenced advisory is HT207423.

Defensive priority

Medium. The issue requires local access and is limited to confidentiality impact, but it can expose sensitive kernel-resident data. Priority should be higher on multi-user systems or environments where local account compromise is a realistic concern.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade affected Macs to macOS 10.12.2 or later as referenced by the vendor and NVD records.
  • Inventory systems still running macOS 10.12.1 or earlier and prioritize remediation.
  • Review local account exposure on older Macs, especially shared systems or devices with broader user access.
  • Monitor vendor security guidance and third-party advisories linked from the official NVD record for any additional context.

Evidence notes

The CVE description states that macOS before 10.12.2 is affected and that IOFireWireFamily allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel memory via unspecified vectors. NVD classifies the issue as CWE-200 and assigns CVSS 3.0 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N. The source record also references Apple’s support advisory HT207423 and third-party advisories from SecurityFocus and SecurityTracker.

Official resources

Disclosed in the official CVE/NVD record on 2017-02-20 and last modified on 2026-05-13. No KEV listing was supplied, and no evidence of ransomware use was provided in the source corpus.