Pointer Authentication bypass via Kernel state race
Published May 26, 2022 · Updated May 30, 2025
Race condition in the Apple watchOS Kernel before 8.6 allows attackers with arbitrary read and write capability to bypass Pointer Authentication. The Kernel mishandles state during concurrent execution, leaving a timing window that defeats pointer-signature validation. Exploitation requires existing arbitrary read and write capability and bypasses a memory-corruption mitigation; no direct code-execution impact is reported.
Summary
What happened
Race condition in the Apple watchOS Kernel before 8.6 allows attackers with arbitrary read and write capability to bypass Pointer Authentication. The Kernel mishandles state during concurrent execution, leaving a timing window that defeats pointer-signature validation. Exploitation requires existing arbitrary read and write capability and bypasses a memory-corruption mitigation; no direct code-execution impact is reported.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-26765
- Published
- May 26, 2022
- Updated
- May 30, 2025
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- watchOS
- Classifications
- CWE-362
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 26, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <12.4
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <15.5
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <8.6
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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