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NVD / CVE Program· CNA apple

CVE-2016-4656: The kernel in Apple iOS before 9.3.5 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory…

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1KEVWeaponized No fix recorded

Noroxi assessment

Priority: This week (action score 68/100)

  • CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (May 24, 2022). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Jun 14, 2022.
  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 23.6% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 97.8% of all records.
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window. Until a fix is released, restrict access to the affected component and follow the vendor's advisory.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS

The kernel in Apple iOS before 9.3.5 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted app.

Published
Aug 25, 2016
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
23.6% · 97th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

68

This week

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
30 / 30 · Listed
EPSS
7 / 30 · 23.6%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
active
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on May 24, 2022. That signals real attacks, not theory.

Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Jun 14, 2022.

Get told when this record changes

  • In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • No fixed version yet

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2016-4656

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
appleiphone os

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • apple iphone osbefore 9.3.5

Same product

apple: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2016-4657WebKit in Apple iOS before 9.3.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a…KEV
    85Now
  • CVE-2014-4404Heap-based buffer overflow in IOHIDFamily in Apple iOS before 8 and Apple TV before 7 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a…KEV
    76This week
  • CVE-2021-30762A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management.KEV
    68This week

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2016-4654Aug 18, 2016 · IOMobileFrameBuffer in Apple iOS before 9.3.4 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of…
    31Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2016-4655Aug 25, 2016 · The kernel in Apple iOS before 9.3.5 allows attackers to obtain sensitive information from memory via a crafted app.KEV
    62This week
  • Later →CVE-2016-4620Sep 18, 2016 · The Sandbox Profiles component in Apple iOS before 10 does not properly restrict access to directory metadata for SMS draft directories…
    13Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×1
  • Exploit-DB entry ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Exploit-DB entryremote2018-06-05
Metasploit moduleexploit/apple_ios/browser/webkit_tridentWebKit not_number defineProperties UAFexploit2016-08-25

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Metasploit-1 d
  2. Published
  3. First PoC+648 d
  4. CISA KEV+2097 d
  5. TodayNov 14, 2026+3733 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Not on record for this CVE: patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds Write

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

References

Show all references (5 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records