dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2023-23518

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

This is a memory handling vulnerability in WebKit (the rendering engine used by Safari and all iOS/macOS apps with web views) that allows arbitrary code execution when processing maliciously crafted web content. The vulnerability is triggered by a user visiting a specially crafted webpage.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patches by updating to iOS 16.3/iPadOS 16.3, macOS 12.6.3/13.2/11.7.3, Safari 16.3, watchOS 9.3, or tvOS 16.3 as appropriate for the affected device.

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. Identify the Apple platform in use
    Determine whether the device is running macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, or if Safari is the specific application
    Affected if The device runs any Apple operating system that includes WebKit
  2. Check the installed macOS version
    On Mac, go to Apple menu > About This Mac to view the macOS version number
    Affected if The macOS version is 11.7.2 or lower, 12.0 through 12.6.2, or 13.0 through 13.1
  3. Check the installed iOS or iPadOS version
    On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > About to view the iOS version number
    Affected if The iOS or iPadOS version is 16.2 or lower
  4. Check the installed Safari version on macOS
    Open Safari, then go to Safari > About Safari to view the version number
    Affected if Safari version is 16.2 or lower (note: on macOS, Safari version typically aligns with macOS version updates)
  5. Check the installed watchOS, tvOS, or other platform version
    On Apple Watch, go to Settings > General > About. On Apple TV, go to Settings > General > About.
    Affected if watchOS is 9.2 or lower, or tvOS is 16.2 or lower

If the installed OS or Safari version falls within any of the affected ranges (iOS/iPadOS/safari/watchOS/tvOS below 16.3, macOS below 11.7.3, 12.6.3, or 13.2), the environment is vulnerable when processing untrusted web content.

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 patches by updating to iOS 16.3/iPadOS 16.3, macOS 12.6.3/13.2/11.7.3, Safari 16.3, watchOS 9.3, or tvOS 16.3 as appropriate for the affected device.

Recommended fix High confidence

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

  1. Identify the current version of the affected Apple product (Safari, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS)
  2. For iOS/iPadOS: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS/iPadOS 16.3 or later
  3. For macOS: Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install macOS 11.7.3, 12.6.3, or 13.2 depending on your current major version
  4. For watchOS: Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > Software Update, and install watchOS 9.3 or later
  5. For tvOS: Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and install tvOS 16.3 or later
  6. For Safari: Update via macOS system update or download Safari 16.3 from Apple if available as a standalone
  7. After updating, verify the new version by checking Settings/About to confirm the fix is applied
  8. Reboot devices after applying updates to ensure all components are properly updated
Caveat Apple point releases typically have minimal breaking changes; however, some older apps or extensions may have compatibility issues with newer OS versions

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

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
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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-2023-23518 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