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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7655 Apple CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7655 is a High-severity Apple vulnerability in the CoreMedia External Displays component. According to the CVE description and NVD data, it affects iOS and macOS releases before the fixed versions and can allow a local user to gain privileges or cause a denial of service because of a type confusion flaw.

Vendor
Apple
Product
Unknown
CVSS
HIGH 7.8
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

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.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-7655 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7655

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-7655 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7655

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.