Actively exploited vulnerability
Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS: memory corruption flaw under attack
CVE-2022-22620 · Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Webkit Use-After-Free Vulnerability
What is affected
Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS is found on ordinary personal computers and phones, so this is not only a problem for companies. If you use it and have not updated since the fix was released, you are exposed.
Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS WebKit contain a use-after-free vulnerability that leads to code execution when processing maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability could impact HTML parsers that use WebKit, including but not limited to Apple Safari and non-Apple products which rely on WebKit for HTML processing.
What an attacker can do
This is a memory corruption flaw. It lets an attacker corrupt the program's memory by feeding it specially crafted content: a web page, a file or a network message. The result ranges from a crash to the attacker running their own code.
- How it is reached
- Over the internet or network
- Access the attacker needs
- No account needed
- Does the victim have to do something?
- Yes, the victim must open or click something
What to do
- Update Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS now. Open the update or "About" screen, install whatever is offered and restart the app or device, because the fix is not active until you do.
- Turn on automatic updates so the next fix arrives without you having to look for it.
- If your device is too old to receive this update, stop using the affected app for anything sensitive and plan a replacement.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
How urgent is it
CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on February 11, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of attacks in the wild. US federal agencies must fix it by February 25, 2022, a deadline that has already passed. That deadline does not bind anyone else, but it shows how seriously the agency rates it.
The EPSS model estimates a 16% probability that this flaw will be exploited somewhere in the next 30 days. That is higher than 97% of all scored vulnerabilities.
Its CVSS severity score is 8.8 out of 10 (high), as recorded in the US National Vulnerability Database.
Technical description
A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.2.1, iOS 15.3.1 and iPadOS 15.3.1, Safari 15.3 (v. 16612.4.9.1.8 and 15612.4.9.1.8). Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited..