dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-32389

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-06-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.5 / 13.4 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
This issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5, watchOS 9.5, tvOS 16.5, macOS Ventura 13.4. 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 confidence

A kernel memory disclosure vulnerability in Apple operating systems allowed a malicious application to potentially read kernel memory. The issue was remediated through improved redaction of sensitive information in the affected OS versions.

MitigationUpdate all affected Apple devices (iOS 16.5+, iPadOS 16.5+, watchOS 9.5+, tvOS 16.5+, macOS Ventura 13.4+) to apply the security patch that improves sensitive data redaction.

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:< 16.5
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 16.5
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 13.0, < 13.4
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 16.5
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 9.5

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. Identify your Apple device OS type
    Determine whether the device runs iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS. This dictates which version range applies.
    Affected if The device runs any of the listed Apple operating systems.
  2. Check iOS or iPadOS version
    On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > About and note the version number shown next to 'Software Version'.
    Affected if The installed iOS or iPadOS version is below 16.5.
  3. Check macOS version
    On Mac, go to System Settings > About (or System Preferences > About on older macOS) and note the version number. Ensure the major version is 13 (Ventura).
    Affected if The installed macOS version is 13.0 through 13.4 (any version >= 13.0 but < 13.4).
  4. Check tvOS or watchOS version
    On Apple TV, go to Settings > General > About. On Apple Watch, open the Settings app on the watch and go to General > About. Note the version number.
    Affected if The installed tvOS version is below 16.5, or the installed watchOS version is below 9.5.

You are affected if your device runs iOS/iPadOS/tvOS < 16.5, watchOS < 9.5, or macOS version 13.0 through 13.4.

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 9.5 / 13.4 / 16.5 or later
Fixed in 9.513.416.5
Interim mitigation

Update all affected Apple devices (iOS 16.5+, iPadOS 16.5+, watchOS 9.5+, tvOS 16.5+, macOS Ventura 13.4+) to apply the security patch that improves sensitive data redaction.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 16.5/iPadOS 16.5, watchOS 9.5, tvOS 16.5, macOS Ventura 13.4

  1. Update iPhone or iPod touch to iOS 16.5 via Settings > General > Software Update
  2. Update iPad to iPadOS 16.5 via Settings > General > Software Update
  3. Update Apple Watch to watchOS 9.5 via the Watch app on iPhone > My Watch > General > Software Update
  4. Update Apple TV to tvOS 16.5 via Settings > General > Apple TV Software Updates
  5. Update Mac running macOS Ventura to 13.4 via System Preferences > Software Update
Caveat Standard OS upgrade considerations apply - ensure compatible apps and accessories 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
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

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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-2023-32389 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