dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-23502

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.3 / 12.6.3 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An information disclosure issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.6.3, macOS Ventura 13.2, iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3, tvOS 16.3, watchOS 9.3. An app may be able to determine kernel memory layout.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A kernel memory layout information disclosure vulnerability in Apple operating systems allowed a malicious application to potentially determine kernel memory layout, which could aid in bypassing security mechanisms like KASLR. The issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code.

MitigationApply the appropriate Apple OS updates (macOS Monterey 12.6.3+, macOS Ventura 13.2+, iOS/iPadOS 16.3+, tvOS 16.3+, watchOS 9.3+) to systems within the deployment scope.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 16.3
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 16.3
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 12.0.0, < 12.6.3>= 13.0, < 13.2
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 16.3
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 9.3

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check iOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About on the iPhone or iPad, or use the command 'sw_vers' via SSH/Terminal to retrieve the version number
    Affected if The iOS version is less than 16.3
  2. Check iPadOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About on the iPad, or use the command 'sw_vers' via SSH/Terminal to retrieve the version number
    Affected if The iPadOS version is less than 16.3
  3. Check macOS version
    Click the Apple menu > About This Mac, or run 'sw_vers' in Terminal to get the exact version (for example, 12.5.1 or 13.1)
    Affected if The macOS version is 12.0.0 through 12.6.2 inclusive, or 13.0 through 13.1 inclusive
  4. Check tvOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About > Version on Apple TV, or use the 'sw_vers' command if you have remote access
    Affected if The tvOS version is less than 16.3
  5. Check watchOS version
    Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to My Watch > General > About, or check the Apple Watch settings directly
    Affected if The watchOS version is less than 9.3

The environment is affected if any Apple device runs an OS version that falls within the vulnerable ranges: iOS/iPadOS/tvOS/watchOS below 16.3/9.3, or macOS 12.0.0-12.6.2 or 13.0-13.1.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 9.3 / 12.6.3 / 13.2 or later
Fixed in 9.312.6.313.2
Interim mitigation

Apply the appropriate Apple OS updates (macOS Monterey 12.6.3+, macOS Ventura 13.2+, iOS/iPadOS 16.3+, tvOS 16.3+, watchOS 9.3+) to systems within the deployment scope.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 16.3+ / iPadOS 16.3+ / macOS 12.6.3+ (Monterey) or 13.2+ (Ventura) / tvOS 16.3+ / watchOS 9.3+

  1. Identify the Apple device type (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or Apple Watch)
  2. Check the current operating system version on the device
  3. For iPhone or iPad: Upgrade to iOS 16.3 or iPadOS 16.3 or later via Settings > General > Software Update
  4. For Mac: Determine if running macOS Monterey (12.x) or macOS Ventura (13.x), then upgrade to 12.6.3+ or 13.2+ respectively via System Preferences > Software Update
  5. For Apple TV: Upgrade to tvOS 16.3 or later via Settings > System > Software Updates
  6. For Apple Watch: Upgrade to watchOS 9.3 or later via the Watch app on iPhone > General > Software Update
  7. Ensure the device is connected to Wi-Fi and power before applying the update
Caveat Standard point-release upgrade risks apply (ensure backup before updating); minor UI changes possible in point releases

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-23502 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data