dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2023-23517

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.3 / 11.7.3 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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, watchOS 9.3, macOS Big Sur 11.7.3, Safari 16.3, tvOS 16.3, iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.

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 memory handling vulnerability in WebKit allows arbitrary code execution when processing maliciously crafted web content. The flaw is present in multiple Apple operating systems and browsers including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and Safari.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security updates: macOS Monterey 12.6.3/Big Sur 11.7.3/Ventura 13.2, iOS/iPadOS 16.3, watchOS 9.3, tvOS 16.3, and Safari 16.3.

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
SafariWeb browser
Affected:< 16.3
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 16.3
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 16.3
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 11.7.3>= 12.0, < 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checks

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

  1. Check macOS version on Mac computers
    Open System Preferences (System Settings on macOS Ventura+) > General > About, or run 'sw_vers' in Terminal
    Affected if Version is older than 11.7.3, or between 12.0 and 12.6.2, or between 13.0 and 13.1
  2. Check Safari version on macOS
    Open Safari > About Safari, or check version in App Store updates, or run 'defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleShortVersionString'
    Affected if Version is lower than 16.3
  3. Check iOS version on iPhone and iPad
    Open Settings > General > About on the device, or connect to computer and check in Finder/iTunes
    Affected if Version is lower than 16.3
  4. Check watchOS version on Apple Watch
    Open the Watch app on iPhone > General > About, or check on Apple Watch in Settings > General > About
    Affected if Version is lower than 9.3
  5. Check tvOS version on Apple TV
    Open Settings > General > About on Apple TV
    Affected if Version is lower than 16.3

User is affected if any Apple device or Safari browser is running a version lower than the fixed releases (Safari 16.3, iOS/iPadOS 16.3, macOS 11.7.3/12.6.3/13.2, watchOS 9.3, tvOS 16.3).

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 / 11.7.3 / 12.6.3 or later
Fixed in 9.311.7.312.6.3
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied security updates: macOS Monterey 12.6.3/Big Sur 11.7.3/Ventura 13.2, iOS/iPadOS 16.3, watchOS 9.3, tvOS 16.3, and Safari 16.3.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, macOS 11.7.3 / 12.6.3 / 13.2, tvOS 16.3, watchOS 9.3, Safari 16.3

  1. Identify the affected Apple device and current OS version (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS)
  2. For iOS/iPadOS devices: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update to reach iOS/iPadOS 16.3
  3. For macOS: Open System Settings (Ventura) or System Preferences (Monterey/Big Sur) > Software Update and install the available update to reach macOS 11.7.3, 12.6.3, or 13.2 depending on your currently installed major version
  4. For tvOS: Go to Settings > System > Software Update and install the update to reach tvOS 16.3
  5. For watchOS: Go to the Watch app on iPhone > General > Software Update and install the update to reach watchOS 9.3
  6. Alternatively, for all platforms, ensure Auto-update is enabled to receive future security patches

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

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-23517 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-23517 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