CVE-2022-26700 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/23/2022
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in tvOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6, iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5, macOS Monterey 12.4, Safari 15.5. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2025
The memory corruption vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-26700 represents a critical security flaw in Apple's operating systems that could enable remote code execution through web content manipulation. This issue affects multiple Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS Monterey, highlighting the widespread nature of the vulnerability across Apple's ecosystem. The vulnerability stems from inadequate state management within Apple's web processing frameworks, creating potential attack vectors that adversaries could exploit to gain unauthorized system access.
The technical flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that occurs when processing maliciously crafted web content, which aligns with common patterns found in heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities and memory safety issues. This type of vulnerability typically arises when applications fail to properly validate or manage memory allocation during content rendering processes, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute arbitrary code. The flaw operates at the intersection of web rendering engines and system memory management, making it particularly dangerous in modern browser environments where complex web content processing is routine.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation scenarios, as it could enable attackers to perform privilege escalation, system compromise, and persistent access to affected devices. Security researchers have identified this issue as potentially enabling techniques described in the attack framework such as code injection and memory manipulation attacks that leverage the underlying memory corruption to bypass security controls. The vulnerability's presence in Safari and related web frameworks means that any user interaction with malicious web content could trigger the exploit, making it particularly concerning for enterprise and individual users alike. This type of vulnerability commonly maps to CWE-121 and CWE-122 categories related to buffer overflow conditions and heap-based buffer overflows.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-26700 primarily focus on immediate system updates to the patched versions mentioned in the advisory, which include iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6, macOS Monterey 12.4, and Safari 15.5. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly. Additional protective measures include deploying web content filtering solutions, implementing sandboxing techniques, and establishing monitoring protocols to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious web traffic patterns associated with known exploit signatures. The vulnerability's remediation through improved state management demonstrates Apple's approach to addressing memory safety issues through architectural improvements that prevent similar flaws from occurring in future implementations.