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CVE-2016-7642 Apple CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7642 is a high-severity Apple WebKit memory corruption issue affecting multiple Apple products. According to NVD, the flaw can be triggered by a crafted website and may allow remote code execution or denial of service. The vulnerability was published on 2017-02-20 and is scored CVSS 3.0 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), reflecting a network-reachable issue that requires user interaction but can have full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. NVD also classifies the weakness as CWE-119 and lists affected versions of iOS before 10.2, Safari before 10.0.2, iCloud before 6.1, and iTunes before 12.5.4.

Vendor
Apple
Product
CVE-2016-7642
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 releases should care most, especially teams managing iOS devices, macOS endpoints with Safari, and systems using iCloud or iTunes. Security and IT operations teams should prioritize this for internet-browsing exposure because the trigger is a crafted website and the impact can include code execution.

Technical summary

NVD describes the issue as a WebKit component memory corruption bug in Apple products. The attack surface is remote and browser-driven: a crafted website may trigger the flaw when a user interacts with content in affected versions. NVD maps the issue to CWE-119 and shows affected CPE ranges ending at iOS 10.1.1, Safari 10.0.1, iCloud 6.0.1, and iTunes 12.5.3. The CVSS vector indicates network access, low attack complexity, no privileges, user interaction required, and high impact if exploitation succeeds.

Defensive priority

High. This is a network-reachable memory corruption issue with potential remote code execution, broad product exposure, and high impact. Even though user interaction is required, browser-based delivery makes patching important for any environment where users browse the web or consume untrusted web content.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Update iOS to 10.2 or later on affected devices.
  • Update Safari to 10.0.2 or later on affected systems.
  • Update iCloud to 6.1 or later where applicable.
  • Update iTunes to 12.5.4 or later where applicable.
  • Inventory Apple endpoints and confirm no systems remain on the affected version ranges listed by NVD.
  • Prioritize patching devices used for web browsing or handling untrusted web content.
  • Use vendor advisories and official Apple security updates as the remediation source of truth.

Evidence notes

NVD lists the affected Apple CPE ranges and the CVSS 3.0 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H with CWE-119. The source corpus also includes Apple vendor advisory links (HT207421, HT207422, HT207424, HT207427) and third-party references, but no advisory text was supplied here. No KEV entry or ransomware association was provided in the corpus.

Official resources

Publicly disclosed in the official vulnerability record on 2017-02-20; NVD shows the entry was modified later on 2026-05-13.