CVE-2014-4404: Apple IOHIDFamily heap buffer overflow via crafted key-mapping properties

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 17 September 2026. Confidence: medium.

high priorityThe flaw allows privileged code execution, carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, and is in CISA KEV with a very high EPSS percentile, though it requires local delivery and user interaction.

What it is

IOHIDFamily in Apple iOS before 8 and Apple TV before 7 contains a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-787 out-of-bounds write) triggered when an application supplies crafted key-mapping properties. Successful exploitation writes out of bounds in a privileged context, making it a serious local privilege-escalation and code-execution flaw on affected Apple platforms.

Impact

An attacker who gets a crafted application onto the device can execute arbitrary code with privileged (kernel-level) rights, potentially taking full control of the affected iOS or Apple TV system.

Attack surface

The vector is local (AV:L) with user interaction required (UI:R) and no privileges required (PR:N), so the attacker must deliver and get the victim to run a malicious application that supplies the crafted key-mapping properties. No remote or network path is described in the record.

Exploitation

CVE-2014-4404 is listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-02-10) with a required action to apply vendor updates, and EPSS shows a 30-day probability of 0.49049 (98.8th percentile), indicating high modeled likelihood of exploitation. No ransomware campaign use is documented and no public exploit reference is tagged in the record.

What to do

• Apply the Apple security updates referenced in the vendor advisories (HT6441, HT6442, HT204659, HT6535) to bring iOS to 8 or later and Apple TV to 7 or later.
• Enforce a policy of installing only trusted, reviewed applications and block sideloaded or untrusted app sources on managed devices.
• Use MDM or equivalent controls to verify and report OS versions across iOS and Apple TV fleets so unpatched devices are identified.
• Restrict or monitor installation of applications that supply custom HID key-mapping properties on managed endpoints.
• Track KEV remediation deadlines and confirm closure of CVE-2014-4404 on all in-scope Apple devices.

Detection

• Inventory iOS and Apple TV devices and alert on any reporting a version below iOS 8 or Apple TV 7.
• Monitor for unexpected application installations or sideloading events on managed Apple devices that could deliver crafted key-mapping properties.
• Review crash or kernel panic telemetry from IOHIDFamily for signs of heap corruption or out-of-bounds writes.
• Correlate device management logs with KEV status to flag assets still exposed to CVE-2014-4404.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.