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Threats / Apple / CVE-2022-32917
CVE-2022-32917 · EUVD no mirror located · GCVE no mirror located Verified 2026-06-22

Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS vulnerability

Apple kernel vulnerability in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS allows applications to execute code with kernel privileges through improper input validation and buffer overflow.

Verdict

Today item — known-exploited.

An application can exploit this kernel vulnerability to gain kernel-level code execution. The vulnerability has been observed in active exploitation in the wild, though not associated with ransomware campaigns.

CISA KEV Yes · 2022-09-143EPSS 0.05557 (verify live)4
01

Is it exploitable?

— the evidence, ranked above the score
Reported exploitation
6 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-09-14).
CISA KEV ↗Confirmed
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.05557 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Apple, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
NVD ↗Reported
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write — weakness family: Memory safety.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
NVD ↗Reported
02

Who’s exploiting it?

— attribution turns risk into urgency
Attribution not established

No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.

03

Why it matters

— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board
1

Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1

Attacker
I craft a malicious application that exploits improper input validation in the kernel.
Business
User installs an application from an untrusted source or compromised app store listing.
2

Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2

Attacker
I trigger a buffer overflow condition through my application to corrupt kernel memory.
Business
The device becomes unstable or crashes, disrupting user productivity.
3

Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3

Attacker
I execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges on the compromised device.
Business
Attacker gains complete control over the device, including access to all user data and system functions.
4

Data at risk — exfiltration narrative 4

Attacker
I persist my access by installing rootkits or modifying system components.
Business
Apple's security model is undermined; customer trust in platform security is damaged.
04

What to do

— defensible action
  • Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05

Coverage & confidence

— what we know, and what we don’t

Established (cited)

  • KEV listing (CISA)
  • EPSS probability (FIRST)
  • 6 reported-exploitation source(s)
  • CWE weakness mapping (NVD)
  • Catalogued by apple (CNA)
  • Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden

  • No EUVD / GCVE mirror in feed — single-authority dependency for the identifier.
  • EPSS & exposure are time-varying; verify live at the source.
  • Threat-actor attribution not established from feed data — absence of a name is not absence of compromise.
  • No finder/reporter credit recorded in the public CVE entry — the work behind this find is unattributed.
  • Disclosure & credit2
    Catalogued by appleCNA
    Credited with finding itNo finder named in the public CVE record — the work behind this find is unattributed.