dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-23511

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
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. 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 bypass Privacy preferences.

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

CVE-2023-23511 is a memory handling vulnerability in multiple Apple operating systems (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS) that allows a malicious application to bypass Privacy preferences. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management that can be exploited to circumvent user-defined or system-enforced privacy controls.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security updates: macOS Monterey 12.6.3 or later, macOS Ventura 13.2 or later, iOS/iPadOS 16.3 or later, tvOS 16.3 or later, and watchOS 9.3 or later. For enterprise deployments, inventory affected devices and deploy updates via MDM or software distribution tools.

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
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 macOS version on Mac computers
    Run 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal, or go to Apple menu > About This Mac
    Affected if Version is 12.0.0 through 12.6.2, or 13.0 through 13.1 (versions below 12.6.3 or below 13.2)
  2. Check iOS version on iPhones
    Open Settings > General > About to view the iOS version number, or use Apple Configurator, MDM, or device management tools
    Affected if Version is below 16.3
  3. Check iPadOS version on iPads
    Open Settings > General > About to view the iPadOS version number, or use Apple Configurator, MDM, or device management tools
    Affected if Version is below 16.3
  4. Check tvOS version on Apple TV devices
    Go to Settings > General > About > Version on Apple TV
    Affected if Version is below 16.3
  5. Check watchOS version on Apple Watch
    Open the Watch app on paired iPhone, go to General > About, or open Settings on Apple Watch > General > About
    Affected if Version is below 9.3

You are affected if any device runs an unpatched Apple OS version within the affected ranges: macOS 12.0.0-12.6.2 or 13.0-13.1, iOS/iPadOS below 16.3, tvOS below 16.3, or watchOS below 9.3.

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 vendor-supplied security updates: macOS Monterey 12.6.3 or later, macOS Ventura 13.2 or later, iOS/iPadOS 16.3 or later, tvOS 16.3 or later, and watchOS 9.3 or later. For enterprise deployments, inventory affected devices and deploy updates via MDM or software distribution tools.

Recommended fix High confidence

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

  1. Identify the affected Apple device and current OS version
  2. Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on iOS/iPadOS/tvOS/watchOS
  3. For macOS, navigate to System Preferences > Software Update or System Settings > General > Software Update
  4. Download and install the appropriate update: iOS 16.3 or later, iPadOS 16.3 or later, macOS 12.6.3 or later (Monterey) or macOS 13.2 or later (Ventura), tvOS 16.3 or later, watchOS 9.3 or later
  5. Restart the device if prompted to complete the update installation
  6. Verify the installed OS version matches or exceeds the fixed release
Caveat Standard OS update risks apply - ensure backups exist before updating

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-23511 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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