CVE-2022-48618 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Apple Multiple Products. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 31 January 2024, which means attackers have used it in real attacks. 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.
What the vulnerability is in Apple’s software stack
CVE-2022-48618 is a time-of-check/time-of-use memory corruption flaw in Apple Multiple Products. The practical problem is that the code makes a security decision, then uses a memory state that can change before that decision is enforced.
That pattern matters because the attacker does not need to defeat the whole platform, only the narrow race window created by inconsistent state handling. In memory-safe terms, this is the kind of flaw that can turn a logic gap into control-flow abuse or privilege bypass.
Why the flaw is dangerous
Apple’s own ecosystem details are important here: the issue affects iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS, and the primary definition states that an attacker with read and write capabilities could bypass Pointer Authentication. That combination raises the stakes because the attacker is already inside a privileged execution context or has some useful primitive to shape memory.
Pointer Authentication is meant to make it harder to turn memory corruption into usable exploitation. When a TOCTOU flaw lets an attacker sidestep that protection, the vulnerability becomes more than a crash risk, it can become a path to integrity loss and deeper compromise.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 is a useful lens for understanding why this matters across identify, protect, detect and respond activities, even though the issue itself is a product vulnerability rather than a governance problem.
How organisations should assess exposure
Exposure review starts with inventory, not guesswork. Organisations need to know which Apple devices and operating system builds exist in the estate, whether they are internet-facing through management tooling or exposed through remote workflows, and whether vendor advisory guidance confirms the exact product scope for this CVE.
For a vulnerability with public exploitation history, the right question is not only “are we running Apple platforms?” but also “where are those endpoints reachable, how quickly can they be patched, and which business services depend on them?” Those answers determine whether the issue is a nuisance or a material operational risk.
NIST National Vulnerability Database is the standard public reference for CVE records, while Apple’s advisory remains the authoritative source for exact affected and fixed versions.
Remediation, detection and post-exploitation review
The best remediation is to apply the vendor fix as soon as change control allows, then validate that the vulnerable product version is no longer present. Where patching is delayed, reduce exposure by limiting attack surface, restricting untrusted content paths, hardening endpoint monitoring, and tightening the permissions of users or services that could amplify exploitation.
Detection should look for signs that the flaw was used before or during remediation, because public exploitation means compromise is a realistic possibility. That review should include suspicious crashes, unexpected memory corruption indicators, unusual process behaviour, and any evidence that trusted device state or code integrity was altered.
If exploitation is suspected, investigate whether related credentials, session material, signing material, or management trust relationships were exposed and should be rotated or revoked. On Apple estates, the operational consequence is often broader than the single device, because a compromised endpoint can become a launch point for account abuse, token theft, or lateral access.
Vulnerability Management Guide supports the prioritisation logic here, especially around asset scope, KEV-based urgency, verification and remediation tracking.
Risk and Threat Considerations
Because CISA placed this CVE in the KEV catalogue, organisations should treat it as an actively exploited issue rather than a theoretical weakness. The main risk is not just instability, but the possibility that a memory corruption chain can be used to bypass a platform protection and deepen compromise on devices that users trust.
Failure mechanism: An attacker with sufficient read and write capability can exploit the TOCTOU race to influence memory state between check and use, then leverage that inconsistency to bypass Pointer Authentication and continue the exploitation chain.
Impact: Successful exploitation can produce integrity loss, code execution, privilege escalation or post-compromise persistence on Apple endpoints, with downstream exposure of user sessions, device trust and connected enterprise access.
Standards & Framework Alignment
This section maps relevant standards and security frameworks to the operational risks and controls described in this guidance.
NIST CSF 2.0, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, CIS Controls v8 and OWASP ASVS set the governance and control requirements practitioners need to meet.
| Framework | Control / Reference | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| NIST CSF 2.0 | PR.DS-01 — Data-at-Rest is Protected | Memory corruption endangers device and data integrity on affected Apple products. |
| DE.CM-01 — Networks and Systems Are Monitored to Detect Potentially Adverse Events | Public exploitation requires monitoring for suspicious crashes and post-compromise signals. | |
| RS.MA-01 — Incidents Are Managed | KEV-listed exploitation requires coordinated containment and recovery when abuse is suspected. | |
| Recommendation — Verify Apple devices maintain protected data and integrity controls after remediation. Monitor Apple endpoints for crash patterns and compromise indicators tied to exploitation. Contain and recover affected Apple devices under incident response procedures. | ||
| NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 | SI-16 — Memory Protection | The issue is a memory corruption flaw, so memory protection controls are directly implicated. |
| SI-7 — Software, Firmware, and Information Integrity | Bypassing platform integrity protections is central to the exploitation concern. | |
| RA-5 — Vulnerability Monitoring and Scanning | Exposure assessment depends on finding affected assets and tracking known exploitation. | |
| Recommendation — Validate memory protection mechanisms and reduce corruption-prone attack paths. Reinforce software and firmware integrity checks on Apple endpoints. Scan Apple assets for exposure and prioritise remediation using KEV status. | ||
| CIS Controls v8 | CIS-7 — Continuous Vulnerability Management | This CVE needs prioritised remediation based on active exploitation and asset exposure. |
| Recommendation — Prioritise remediation of exposed Apple devices under continuous vulnerability management. | ||
| OWASP ASVS | V11 — Cryptography | Pointer Authentication is a cryptographic integrity mechanism whose bypass is part of the flaw’s danger. |
| Recommendation — Review reliance on cryptographic integrity protections when assessing exploit impact. | ||
Practitioner Guidance
Why practitioners should care: Publicly exploited Apple vulnerabilities deserve urgent handling because endpoint compromise can become an entry point into identity, data and management planes. Prioritise remediation by business exposure, not by convenience or patch window preference.
What to watch for: Treat unexplained crashes, abnormal process behaviour and unusual trust changes as possible compromise indicators, especially if the device was vulnerable at the time of exposure. A clean patch does not prove the device was never abused.
Practitioner takeaway: For KEV-listed flaws like this one, patching is necessary but not sufficient, post-patch compromise review is part of the response.
Related resources from NHI Mgmt Group
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Reviewed and updated by the NHIMG editorial team on October 17, 2026.
NHI Mgmt Group — the #1 independent authority on Non-Human Identity, IAM, and Agentic AI security. nhimg.org