dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-38565

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-07-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.6 / 11.7.9 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
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
A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.6.8, iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Ventura 13.5, watchOS 9.6. An app may be able to gain root privileges.

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 · moderate confidence

A path handling vulnerability in multiple Apple operating systems (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS) allowed a malicious application to potentially gain root privileges through improper path validation. The fix involved implementing improved validation checks for file system path handling.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied security updates (macOS 12.6.8/13.5/11.7.9, iOS/iPadOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6) to affected devices. For enterprise environments, utilize mobile device management (MDM) or patch management solutions to ensure timely deployment.

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:< 15.7.8>= 16.0, < 16.6
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.7.8>= 16.0, < 16.6
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 11.7.9>= 12.0, < 12.6.8>= 13.0, < 13.5
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 16.6
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 9.6

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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
    Run 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or view System Settings > General > About
    Affected if Version is < 11.7.9, or >= 12.0 and < 12.6.8, or >= 13.0 and < 13.5
  2. Check iOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About on the device or use Apple Configurator or MDM if managed
    Affected if Version is < 15.7.8, or >= 16.0 and < 16.6
  3. Check iPadOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About on the device or use Apple Configurator or MDM if managed
    Affected if Version is < 15.7.8, or >= 16.0 and < 16.6
  4. Check watchOS version
    Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to My Watch > General > About, or check on the watch at Settings > General > About
    Affected if Version is < 9.6
  5. Check tvOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About on Apple TV
    Affected if Version is < 16.6

If the installed OS version falls within any of the listed vulnerable ranges, the device is potentially affected and could allow a malicious application to exploit improper path validation to gain root privileges.

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 9.6 / 11.7.9 / 12.6.8 or later
Fixed in 9.611.7.912.6.8
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied security updates (macOS 12.6.8/13.5/11.7.9, iOS/iPadOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6) to affected devices. For enterprise environments, utilize mobile device management (MDM) or patch management solutions to ensure timely deployment.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 16.6 / iPadOS 16.6 / macOS Ventura 13.5 / macOS Monterey 12.6.8 / macOS Big Sur 11.7.9 / watchOS 9.6 / tvOS 16.6 (or iOS 15.7.8 / iPadOS 15.7.8 for older devices)

  1. Open Settings app on iPhone/iPad, or System Preferences on Mac
  2. Navigate to General > Software Update (or System Settings > General > Software Update on newer macOS)
  3. Ensure your device is connected to Wi-Fi and has sufficient battery
  4. Check for available updates - the device will scan Apple's servers
  5. If an update is available, tap 'Download and Install' or click 'Update Now'
  6. For iPhone/iPad: Enter passcode if prompted and confirm the installation
  7. For Mac: Enter admin credentials when prompted to authorize the update
  8. Wait for the update to download and install - device will restart automatically
Caveat Point releases typically have minimal breaking changes; verify critical apps are compatible before upgrading

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
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

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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-2023-38565 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