CVE-2023-27941
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 validation issue was addressed with improved input sanitization. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3, iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5. An app may be able to disclose kernel memory.
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 validation issue in kernel memory handling allows a malicious application to potentially read kernel memory due to insufficient input sanitization. The vulnerability exists in multiple Apple operating system versions and was addressed through improved input validation.
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< 15.7.4< 15.7.4< 13.3CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check macOS versionOpen Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersionAffected if Version is below 13.3 (for example, 13.2.x, 12.x, 11.x)
-
Check iOS version on iPhoneGo to Settings > General > About on the device, or connect to Finder/iTunes and check the device summaryAffected if Version is below 15.7.4 (for example, 15.7.3, 15.x, 14.x)
-
Check iPadOS version on iPadGo to Settings > General > About on the deviceAffected if Version is below 15.7.4 (for example, 15.7.3, 15.x, 14.x)
-
Confirm kernel-level exposureThis vulnerability is in kernel memory handling - any user-space application could potentially exploit it. No specific kernel extension or config needs to be enabled for the flaw to exist.Affected if The device is running an affected OS version regardless of configuration
A user is affected if their device runs macOS below 13.3, iOS below 15.7.4, or iPadOS below 15.7.4 - the vulnerability exists in the OS kernel itself and requires no special configuration to be exploitable.
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 · scoped13.315.7.4
Apply the appropriate security update for the affected Apple operating system: macOS Ventura 13.3, iOS/iPadOS 15.7.4, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, or macOS Big Sur 11.7.5. This is a kernel-level fix requiring a system update and restart.
iOS 15.7.4+, iPadOS 15.7.4+, macOS Ventura 13.3+, macOS Monterey 12.6.4+, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5+
- For iPhone users: Upgrade to iOS 15.7.4 or later via Settings > General > Software Update
- For iPad users: Upgrade to iPadOS 15.7.4 or later via Settings > General > Software Update
- For macOS Ventura users: Upgrade to macOS 13.3 or later via System Preferences > Software Update
- For macOS Monterey users: Upgrade to macOS 12.6.4 or later via System Preferences > Software Update
- For macOS Big Sur users: Upgrade to macOS 11.7.5 or later via System Preferences > Software Update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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 locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-27941 — 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-2023-27941 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
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.
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