CVE-2016-4655: The kernel in Apple iOS before 9.3.5 allows attackers to obtain sensitive information from memory via a crafted app.
Noroxi assessment
Priority: This week (action score 62/100)
- 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: 33.3% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 98.3% 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
- Published
- Aug 25, 2016
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 33.3% · 98th percentile
- CWE
- —
Report tools
Action score
62
Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 10 / 30 · 33.3%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- active
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
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.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi 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.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected 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.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| apple | iphone os | cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_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
- apple iphone os10.0
Same product
apple: all recordsOther 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…KEV85Now
- 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…KEV76This week
- CVE-2021-30762A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management.KEV68This week
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2016-4653Jul 21, 2016 · The kernel in Apple iOS before 9.3.3, OS X before 10.11.6, tvOS before 9.2.2, and watchOS before 2.2.2 allows local users to gain…31Monitor
- ← 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
- Later →CVE-2016-4656Aug 25, 2016 · 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…KEV68This week
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
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×2
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.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB entry | remote | 2018-06-05 |
| Metasploit module | exploit/apple_ios/browser/webkit_tridentWebKit not_number defineProperties UAFexploit | 2016-08-25 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:102 | 2016-10-02 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:9 | 2018-01-09 |
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.
- Metasploit-1 d
- Published
- First PoC+37 d
- CISA KEV+2097 d
- TodayNov 14, 2026+3733 d
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
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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.
Change log (0)
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Show all references (8 more)Show less
- lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2016/Sep/msg00005.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/92651
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/92965
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1036694
- blog.lookout.com/blog/2016/08/25/trident-pegasus/
- support.apple.com/HT207107
- support.apple.com/HT207145
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-4655
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.