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Actively exploited

CVE-2022-48618 Apple Multiple Products Memory Corruption Vulnerability

Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS contain a time-of-check/time-of-use (TOCTOU) memory corruption vulnerability that allows an attacker with read and write capabilities to bypass Pointer Authentication.

From the CISA KEV catalogue version 2026.11.06, with Cybergen analysis. Updated 6 Nov 2026.

Our Assessment

Should You Worry?

Patch urgentlyCybergen assessment
  • CISA confirmed exploitation in the wild and added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 31 Jan 2024.
  • Rated High severity (CVSS 7.0, scored by CISA).
  • It has been in the catalogue for 1,010 days. Systems still unpatched now have almost certainly been scanned for it.
The Vulnerability

What It Is

The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.1, watchOS 9.2, iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2, tvOS 16.2. An attacker with arbitrary read and write capability may be able to bypass Pointer Authentication. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.

Affected Versions

ProductVersions
Apple tvOSunspecified to before 16.2
Apple macOSunspecified to before 13.1
Apple iOS and iPadOSunspecified to before 16.2
Apple watchOSunspecified to before 9.2

From the public CVE record, as supplied by the vendor. Always confirm against the vendor advisory.

From Watch to Action

What To Do Now

  1. 1

    Find it

    Search your asset inventory and external attack surface for Apple Multiple Products. Include cloud images, appliances and anything a supplier runs for you.

    Attack Surface Management
  2. 2

    Fix it

    Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

    Vulnerability Management
  3. 3

    Hunt for compromise

    If an affected system was reachable before you patched, assume it may have been hit. Check logs, new accounts, web shells and outbound connections from the date of exposure.

    Incident Response
  4. 4

    Prove it is fixed

    Rescan or test the system after patching. Upgrades that fail silently and forgotten secondary instances are common.

    Penetration Testing

Vendor Advisories

Regulation

The Compliance Clock

Cyber EssentialsRated high, so if it affects devices in your Cyber Essentials scope, the update must be installed within 14 days of the vendor releasing it.NIS2If exploitation causes a significant incident, essential and important entities owe their CSIRT an early warning within 24 hours and a notification within 72 hours.DORAFinancial entities must classify ICT incidents and send an initial notification for a major incident within strict deadlines, with exploited flaws a common cause.US federal (BOD 22-01)Federal civilian agencies had until 21 Feb 2024 to remediate. A sensible benchmark for everyone else.

General guidance, not legal advice. Your obligations depend on your sector, scope and jurisdiction.

Stay Ahead

More Exploited Apple Flaws

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All 96 exploited Apple vulnerabilities

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Evidence

Sources

  1. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue
  2. NVD: CVE-2022-48618
  3. CVE record: CVE-2022-48618
  4. FIRST EPSS
  5. support.apple.com/en-us/HT213530, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213532, https://support.apple.co
  6. support.apple.com/en-us/HT213535
  7. support.apple.com/en-us/HT213532
  8. support.apple.com/en-us/HT213530
  9. support.apple.com/en-us/HT213536