CVE-2016-7612 Apple CVE debrief

Who should care

Apple endpoint administrators, mobile device management teams, security operations teams, and users of affected iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch systems should care. Organizations that allow third-party app installation or manage fleets with mixed OS versions should prioritize validation and remediation.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is in the Kernel component and is categorized by NVD as CWE-119. According to the CVE description, a crafted app can cause memory corruption, which may lead to arbitrary code execution in a privileged context or a denial of service. The CVSS vector indicates local attack conditions with required user interaction.

Defensive priority

High. Kernel-level memory corruption can have broad impact, and Apple issued fixes for multiple operating systems. Remediation should be prioritized for any system still running affected versions.

Recommended defensive actions

• Update iOS devices to version 10.2 or later.
• Update macOS systems to version 10.12.2 or later.
• Update watchOS devices to version 3.1.3 or later.
• Inventory Apple devices and verify no endpoints remain on affected versions.
• Treat any installed app sources and app approval workflows as part of exposure reduction, since the issue involves a crafted app.
• Use MDM or endpoint management reporting to confirm patch compliance across the fleet.

Evidence notes

NVD describes the issue as an Apple kernel memory corruption vulnerability affecting iOS before 10.2, macOS before 10.12.2, and watchOS before 3.1.3, with potential for privileged code execution or denial of service. The record also lists Apple vendor advisories for the affected releases. No KEV entry is provided in the supplied corpus.

Official resources