CVE-2016-7655 Apple CVE debrief

Who should care

Administrators and users responsible for Apple endpoints running older iOS or macOS builds should pay attention, especially systems where untrusted users may have local access. Shared Macs, kiosks, and managed devices on unsupported or delayed patch cycles are the most relevant exposure points.

Technical summary

The issue is described as a type confusion in CoreMedia External Displays. NVD classifies the weakness as CWE-704 and assigns CVSS 3.0 vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating local attack conditions with user interaction and the potential for privilege gain or denial of service. The supplied NVD criteria mark iOS through 10.1.1 and macOS through 10.12.1 as vulnerable, while the CVE description states iOS before 10.2 and macOS before 10.12.2.

Defensive priority

High for systems that allow local logon or shared access, because the flaw can lead to privilege escalation. Prioritize patching any Apple devices still on affected iOS or macOS versions.

Recommended defensive actions

• Update affected iOS devices to 10.2 or later and affected macOS systems to 10.12.2 or later.
• Inventory Apple devices to confirm no endpoints remain on vulnerable versions identified in the CVE and NVD data.
• Restrict unnecessary local account access on shared or managed systems until remediation is complete.
• Validate that Apple security updates have been applied across all relevant device groups.

Evidence notes

This debrief is based on the supplied CVE record, the NVD entry, and the linked Apple advisories. The NVD record lists the weakness as CWE-704 and provides vulnerable version criteria for Apple iOS and macOS. The CVE description states the issue affects iOS before 10.2 and macOS before 10.12.2, while the NVD version criteria enumerate iOS through 10.1.1 and macOS through 10.12.1. No exploit code or offensive reproduction details are included here.

Official resources