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Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published Sep 20, 2012· Updated Apr 29, 2026

CVE-2012-3728

CVE-2012-3728

Description

Local privilege escalation via invalid pointer dereference in iOS 6 kernel when processing crafted packet-filter ioctl calls.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

Local privilege escalation via invalid pointer dereference in iOS 6 kernel when processing crafted packet-filter ioctl calls.

Vulnerability

The kernel in Apple iOS versions prior to 6 contains a vulnerability in the handling of packet-filter data structures. A local user can craft a program that makes specific packet-filter ioctl calls, leading to the kernel dereferencing invalid pointers. This issue is addressed in iOS 6, which is available for iPhone 3GS and later, iPod touch (4th generation) and later, and iPad 2 and later [1].

Exploitation

An attacker must have local access to the device and be able to execute a crafted program. The program makes tailored ioctl calls on a packet-filter socket, causing the kernel to operate on corrupted or invalid pointer values. No additional user interaction or network access is required beyond local code execution privileges [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows a local attacker to gain elevated privileges on the device. The invalid pointer dereference can lead to arbitrary code execution with kernel-level privileges, resulting in full compromise of the device's security [1].

Mitigation

Users should upgrade to iOS 6, which was released on September 19, 2012, and can be installed via iTunes. No workaround is available for unpatched versions. The vulnerability is not listed on the CISA KEV catalog [1].

References
  1. About the security content of iOS 6 - Apple Support

AI Insight generated on May 24, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.

Affected products

41
  • Apple Inc./Iphone OS40 versions
    cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 39 more
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*range: <=5.1.1
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:1.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:2.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:3.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:4.3.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:5.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • Apple Inc./iOSllm-fuzzy
    Range: <6

Patches

0

No patches discovered yet.

Vulnerability mechanics

AI mechanics synthesis has not run for this CVE yet.

References

3

News mentions

0

No linked articles in our index yet.