CVE-2023-23514
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 · uneditedA use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, iOS 16.3.1 and iPadOS 16.3.1, macOS Ventura 13.2.1, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
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 confidenceA use-after-free vulnerability in Apple kernel components allows a malicious application to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level access. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management that permits access to freed memory objects.
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< 16.3.1< 16.3.1>= 13.0, < 13.2.1CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the operating systemRun 'sw_vers' on macOS or check Settings > General > About on iOS/iPadOS to determine if the device runs macOS, iOS, or iPadOSAffected if Any Apple OS (the vulnerability applies across these platforms)
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Check macOS version on Mac computersRun 'sw_vers' in Terminal or go to System Settings > General > About to view the macOS version (for example, 13.1, 13.2, 13.2.1)Affected if macOS version is 13.0 through 13.2 (inclusive of 13.0, exclusive of 13.2.1)
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Check iOS/iPadOS version on mobile devicesCheck Settings > General > About on iPhone or iPad to view the iOS/iPadOS version numberAffected if iOS or iPadOS version is below 16.3.1 (any version from 16.0 through 16.3)
The device is affected if it runs macOS Ventura 13.0-13.2 or iOS/iPadOS versions prior to 16.3.1.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped13.2.116.3.1
Apply the appropriate Apple security updates (macOS Ventura 13.3/13.2.1, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5, iOS/iPadOS 16.3.1) to all affected devices. Prioritize endpoints based on exposure and criticality.
iOS 16.3.1/iPadOS 16.3.1/macOS Ventura 13.2.1 (or later)
- Back up your device data before performing any OS update
- Check current iOS/iPadOS version by going to Settings > General > About, or check macOS version from System Preferences > About
- For iPhone/iPad: Install iOS 16.3.1 or later, or iPadOS 16.3.1 or later via Settings > General > Software Update
- For macOS Ventura (13.x): Install macOS Ventura 13.2.1 or later via System Preferences > Software Update
- For macOS Monterey: Install macOS Monterey 12.6.4 or later
- For macOS Big Sur: Install macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 or later
- After updating, verify the version installed matches or exceeds the fixed release
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,880.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-23514 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-23514 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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