dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-27961

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.4 / 11.7.5 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
Multiple validation issues were addressed with improved input sanitization. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3, iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, watchOS 9.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5. Importing a maliciously crafted calendar invitation may exfiltrate user information.

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 vulnerability in Apple's calendar invitation handling allows maliciously crafted .ics files to exfiltrate user information when imported. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization in calendar processing across macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.

MitigationApply vendor patches by updating affected devices to macOS Ventura 13.3+, Monterey 12.6.4+, Big Sur 11.7.5+, iOS/iPadOS 16.4+, or 15.7.4+, and watchOS 9.4+. Exercise caution with unsolicited calendar invitations from untrusted sources.

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:< 15.7.4>= 16.0, < 16.4
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.7.4>= 16.0, < 16.4
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 11.0, < 11.7.5>= 12.0, < 12.6.4>= 13.0, < 13.3
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 9.4

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check macOS version
    Open System Settings > About or run 'sw_vers' in Terminal. Note the version number (e.g., 13.2.1, 12.5, 11.7)
    Affected if Version is 11.0 to 11.7.4, 12.0 to 12.6.3, or 13.0 to 13.2.x (versions below 11.7.5, 12.6.4, or 13.3)
  2. Check iOS/iPadOS version
    Open Settings > General > About on iPhone or iPad. Note the version number (e.g., 16.3.1, 15.7.3)
    Affected if Version is 15.7.3 or lower, or 16.0 to 16.3.x (versions below 15.7.4 or 16.4)
  3. Check watchOS version
    Open the Watch app on paired iPhone, go to General > About, or open Settings > About on Apple Watch. Note the version number (e.g., 9.3)
    Affected if Version is below 9.4 (versions 9.3.x or lower)
  4. Identify calendar import vector
    Verify if Calendar app is enabled and can import .ics files. On macOS, open Calendar > File > Import. On iOS, check if calendar sync or import from files is enabled
    Affected if Calendar app is active and .ics file import capability is available (the vulnerability triggers when a malicious .ics is imported)

You are affected if your device runs an OS version within the affected ranges (iOS/iPadOS < 15.7.4 or 16.0-16.3, macOS < 11.7.5/12.6.4/13.3, watchOS < 9.4) and you use the Calendar app to import invitations from untrusted sources.

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 9.4 / 11.7.5 / 12.6.4 or later
Fixed in 9.411.7.512.6.4
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor patches by updating affected devices to macOS Ventura 13.3+, Monterey 12.6.4+, Big Sur 11.7.5+, iOS/iPadOS 16.4+, or 15.7.4+, and watchOS 9.4+. Exercise caution with unsolicited calendar invitations from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 16.4/iPadOS 16.4 or iOS 15.7.4/iPadOS 15.7.4; macOS Ventura 13.3/Monterey 12.6.4/Big Sur 11.7.5; watchOS 9.4

  1. For iPhone and iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and upgrade to iOS 16.4/iPadOS 16.4 or iOS 15.7.4/iPadOS 15.7.4 depending on your device capability
  2. For Mac: Go to System Settings > General > Software Update and upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, or macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 depending on your Mac capability
  3. For Apple Watch: Go to the Watch app on iPhone > My Watch > General > Software Update and upgrade to watchOS 9.4
  4. After updating, verify the version in Settings > General > About on iPhone/iPad, System Settings > General > About on Mac, or Settings > General on Apple Watch
Caveat Standard Apple OS upgrades may deprecate older applications or features; ensure compatible apps 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
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2023-27961 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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