📄 Description (English)
Apple iOS and macOS Group Facetime Vulnerability — Apple iOS and macOS Group FaceTime contains an unspecified vulnerability where the call initiator can cause the recipient's Apple device to answer unknowingly or without user interaction.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2019-6223 is a critical vulnerability in Apple iOS and macOS Group FaceTime that allows a call initiator to force a recipient's device to answer a FaceTime call without any user interaction or consent. This effectively enables unauthorized audio and potentially video surveillance of the target device. With a CVSS score of 9.0 and a known exploit available, this vulnerability poses an immediate and severe privacy and security risk. Organizations using Apple devices for sensitive communications are at heightened risk of eavesdropping and corporate espionage.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 16, 2026 01:19
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
Saudi organizations face significant risk given the widespread adoption of Apple devices across executive and government personnel. Key sectors at risk include: Government/NCA — senior officials and ministers using iPhones for sensitive communications could be silently monitored; Banking/SAMA — executive-level communications at Saudi banks (Al Rajhi, SNB, Riyad Bank) could be intercepted, violating SAMA CSF confidentiality requirements; Energy/ARAMCO — corporate espionage targeting ARAMCO executives and engineers discussing sensitive operational or strategic matters; Telecom/STC — internal communications of telecom leadership could be compromised. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in the Saudi context given the high prevalence of iPhone usage among decision-makers and the potential for state-sponsored threat actors to exploit this for intelligence gathering against Saudi government and corporate targets.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government
Banking
Energy
Telecom
Healthcare
Defense
Executive Leadership across all sectors
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
9.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Disable FaceTime immediately on all managed Apple devices via MDM (Mobile Device Management) policy until patching is confirmed.
2. Issue an emergency advisory to all staff to disable FaceTime manually: Settings > FaceTime > Toggle OFF.
3. Identify and inventory all Apple iOS and macOS devices within the organization.
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
4. Update all Apple iOS devices to iOS 12.1.4 or later immediately — this patch addresses the Group FaceTime vulnerability.
5. Update all macOS devices to macOS Mojave 10.14.3 supplemental update or later.
6. Enforce updates via MDM/Apple Business Manager for enterprise-managed devices.
7. Verify patch deployment across all endpoints using MDM compliance reports.
COMPENSATING CONTROLS:
8. If patching cannot be done immediately, enforce FaceTime disable policy via MDM configuration profiles.
9. Block FaceTime traffic at the network perimeter (TCP/UDP ports used by FaceTime: 443, 3478, 5223, 16384-16387).
10. Restrict FaceTime usage on corporate devices through Apple Configurator or MDM restrictions.
DETECTION RULES:
11. Monitor MDM logs for FaceTime enable/disable status across all managed devices.
12. Enable network monitoring for unusual FaceTime connection patterns.
13. Review Apple device audit logs for unexpected FaceTime session initiations.
14. Deploy SIEM alerts for unpatched Apple devices still running iOS versions below 12.1.4.
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تعطيل FaceTime فوراً على جميع أجهزة Apple المُدارة عبر سياسة MDM حتى يتم التأكد من تطبيق التحديث.
2. إصدار تنبيه طارئ لجميع الموظفين لتعطيل FaceTime يدوياً: الإعدادات > FaceTime > إيقاف التشغيل.
3. تحديد وجرد جميع أجهزة Apple iOS وmacOS داخل المؤسسة.
إرشادات التحديث:
4. تحديث جميع أجهزة Apple iOS إلى الإصدار 12.1.4 أو أحدث فوراً.
5. تحديث جميع أجهزة macOS إلى التحديث التكميلي macOS Mojave 10.14.3 أو أحدث.
6. فرض التحديثات عبر MDM أو Apple Business Manager للأجهزة المُدارة.
7. التحقق من نشر التحديث عبر تقارير الامتثال في MDM.
ضوابط التعويض:
8. في حال تعذّر التحديث الفوري، فرض سياسة تعطيل FaceTime عبر ملفات تعريف تهيئة MDM.
9. حجب حركة مرور FaceTime على محيط الشبكة (المنافذ: 443، 3478، 5223، 16384-16387).
10. تقييد استخدام FaceTime على الأجهزة المؤسسية عبر Apple Configurator أو قيود MDM.
قواعد الكشف:
11. مراقبة سجلات MDM لحالة تفعيل/تعطيل FaceTime على جميع الأجهزة المُدارة.
12. تفعيل مراقبة الشبكة لرصد أنماط اتصال FaceTime غير المعتادة.
13. مراجعة سجلات تدقيق أجهزة Apple لرصد جلسات FaceTime غير المتوقعة.
14. نشر تنبيهات SIEM للأجهزة غير المُحدَّثة التي تعمل بإصدارات iOS أقل من 12.1.4.
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC-1-4-2: Asset Management — unpatched devices
ECC-2-2-1: Cybersecurity Vulnerability Management
ECC-2-3-1: Cybersecurity Event Management and Monitoring
ECC-3-3-1: Mobile Device Security
ECC-3-3-3: Endpoint Protection
ECC-2-1-1: Identity and Access Management — unauthorized access via forced call answer
🔵 SAMA CSF
3.3.6 — Vulnerability Management
3.3.7 — Patch Management
3.3.14 — Mobile Device Management
3.4.1 — Cybersecurity Incident Management
3.2.4 — Data and Information Protection — confidentiality breach via eavesdropping
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.8.8 — Management of technical vulnerabilities
A.8.1 — User endpoint devices
A.6.7 — Remote working
A.5.14 — Information transfer
A.8.20 — Networks security
A.5.10 — Acceptable use of information and other associated assets
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0
Requirement 6.3.3 — All system components are protected from known vulnerabilities by installing applicable security patches
Requirement 12.3.2 — Mobile and end-user technologies risk assessment
Requirement 8.2 — User identification and authentication management
🔗 References & Sources 0
No references.
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
Apple:iOS and macOS