IRONSMITHINTEL
HIGHCVSS7.0
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2022-48618|Auth: low — authenticated user|Reboot: required|Manual only

Apple Multiple Products Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2022-48618)

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.

Published Jan 9, 2024 · Updated May 17, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A local attacker, with a low-privilege account, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2024-02-21 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a Software Vulnerability (CWE-367) (CWE-367) vulnerability in Apple Multiple Products. 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. Exploitation requires local access, higher attack complexity, a low-privilege authenticated account, and no user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

Apple Device Administrators
Endpoint Security
IT Security
Running ipados: v < 16.2; iphone os: v < 16.2; macos: 13.0 ≤ v < 13.1; tvos: v < 16.2; watchos: v < 9.2
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

CISA added this CVE to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-01-31 based on evidence of active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies required to remediate by 2024-02-21.

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

1
Identify affected hosts: query inventory for general installs in scope.
2
Apply the vendor security update referenced in CVE-2022-48618's advisory. No specific KB/version is encoded yet — consult the linked MSRC/vendor URL.
3
Verify the fix per the vendor's published verification steps.
4
Document the remediation in your change ticket and re-scan with your vulnerability scanner to confirm closure.
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