dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2023-38597

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-07-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.5 / 15.7.8 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 checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, Safari 16.6. Processing 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 WebKit vulnerability affecting Safari and iOS/iPadOS browsers that allows arbitrary code execution when processing malicious web content. The issue was addressed with improved checks, likely involving bounds checking or input validation in the browser rendering engine. The vulnerability has been patched in the specified iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Safari versions.

MitigationApply the available security updates (iOS 15.7.8/16.6, iPadOS 15.7.8/16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, Safari 16.6) to all affected devices to remediate the arbitrary code execution vulnerability.

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:< 16.6
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 15.7.8>= 16.0, < 16.6
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.7.8>= 16.0, < 16.6
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 13.0, < 13.5

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
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 device and browser type
    Determine if the device is running macOS with Safari, or iOS/iPadOS with Safari. On macOS, open Safari > Safari menu > About Safari. On iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > General > About to see iOS/iPadOS version.
    Affected if Device is running Safari on macOS, iOS, or iPadOS
  2. Check Safari version on macOS
    Open Safari, click Safari menu, select About Safari. Note the version number displayed (e.g., 16.5.2).
    Affected if Safari version is less than 16.6 on macOS
  3. Check iOS version on iPhone
    Go to Settings > General > About on the iPhone. Note the iOS version (e.g., 16.5). Safari on iOS uses the WebKit engine, so the iOS version determines the WebKit version.
    Affected if iOS version is less than 15.7.8, or between 16.0 and 16.5 (exclusive of 16.6)
  4. Check iPadOS version on iPad
    Go to Settings > General > About on the iPad. Note the iPadOS version.
    Affected if iPadOS version is less than 15.7.8, or between 16.0 and 16.5 (exclusive of 16.6)
  5. Check macOS version if Safari version unavailable
    Click Apple menu > About This Mac. Note the macOS version (e.g., 13.4). Safari is bundled with macOS and uses the system WebKit.
    Affected if macOS version is 13.0 to 13.4 (versions before 13.5)

The environment is affected if running Safari below 16.6 on any platform, iOS/iPadOS below 15.7.8 or between 16.0-16.5, or macOS Ventura between 13.0-13.4.

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 13.5 / 15.7.8 / 16.6 or later
Fixed in 13.515.7.816.6
Interim mitigation

Apply the available security updates (iOS 15.7.8/16.6, iPadOS 15.7.8/16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, Safari 16.6) to all affected devices to remediate the arbitrary code execution vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 15.7.8 / iOS 16.6, iPadOS 15.7.8 / iPadOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, or Safari 16.6 depending on device type

  1. Identify the current version of Safari, iOS, iPadOS, or macOS installed on the device
  2. For iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update
  3. For macOS: Go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update
  4. For Safari: Update via macOS software update or App Store (Safari 16.6 is included with macOS Ventura 13.5)
  5. After updating, verify the version matches the fixed release (iOS 15.7.8, iOS 16.6, iPadOS 15.7.8, iPadOS 16.6, macOS 13.5, or Safari 16.6)
Caveat Apple patch updates typically do not introduce breaking changes; however, some legacy features or third-party extensions may not be supported in newer versions

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

Fix this in Safari 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.

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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-2023-38597 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