VulnerabilityPublished 26 May 2022Updated 30 May 2025

CVE-2022-26764: Apple watchOS · Out-of-bounds Write

Affects Apple watchOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.7 Medium : upgrade to 8.6 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 09:15 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.7Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 59% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 8.6

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

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: High
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: High: A successful attack depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control. That is, a successful attack cannot be accomplished at will, but requires the attacker to invest in some measurable amount of effort in preparation or execution against the vulnerable component before a successful attack can be expected. For example, a successful attack may require an attacker to: gather knowledge about the environment in which the vulnerable target/component exists; prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability; or inject themselves into the logical network path between the target and the resource requested by the victim in order to read and/or modify network communications (e.g., a man in the middle attack).
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 26 May 2022
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade Apple watchOS to 8.6.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apple watchOS	Affected <8.6	Fixed in 8.6

AI-suggested

European organizations should ensure that all Apple devices, including Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs, are updated to the patched versions: watchOS 8.6, tvOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, iOS 15.5, and iPadOS 15.5 or later. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict device management policies using Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce timely updates and restrict installation of untrusted applications that could lead to initial kernel code execution. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of monitoring for suspicious kernel-level activities or attempts to exploit kernel memory. Limit physical access to devices and educate users about the risks of social engineering or phishing attacks that could lead to the initial kernel compromise. Additionally, organizations should review and harden their overall security posture to prevent initial kernel code execution exploits, as this vulnerability only becomes exploitable after such a compromise. Regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on Apple device environments can help identify potential attack vectors leading to kernel code execution. Finally, consider isolating critical Apple devices or limiting their use in high-risk environments to reduce exposure.

Description

A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in watchOS 8.6, tvOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5. An attacker that has already achieved kernel code execution may be able to bypass kernel memory mitigations.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-26764 is primarily relevant to those that deploy Apple devices, particularly Apple Watches, as well as other Apple platforms in their operational environment. While the vulnerability requires prior kernel code execution, which is a high bar for attackers, successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass kernel memory protections, potentially leading to full system compromise or persistence on devices. This could affect organizations relying on Apple devices for sensitive communications, authentication (e.g., Apple Watch used for two-factor authentication), or other security-critical functions. The integrity of data and system operations on affected devices could be compromised, leading to risks such as unauthorized access, data manipulation, or disruption of services. However, the lack of known exploits and the requirement for local access and user interaction reduce the immediate risk. Still, targeted attacks against high-value individuals or organizations using Apple Watches and related devices could leverage this vulnerability as part of a multi-stage attack chain. Given the increasing adoption of Apple devices in European corporate and governmental sectors, this vulnerability could be a vector for sophisticated threat actors aiming to maintain stealthy persistence or escalate privileges on compromised devices.

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighCWE Top 25 (2025): #5
The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Requirements · Language Selection
Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
Architecture and Design · Libraries or Frameworks
Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
Operation · Build and Compilation · Environment Hardening
Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index…
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 8 Jul 2025, 14:11 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-787

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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