dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-38604

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-07-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.6 / 11.7.9 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in watchOS 9.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, tvOS 16.6, iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel 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 · high confidence

A memory corruption vulnerability (out-of-bounds write) in the Apple kernel allows a malicious application to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code at the kernel level. This is a critical memory safety flaw in Apple's operating system kernels that can be exploited by a local application.

MitigationApply the available OS updates (watchOS 9.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Ventura 13.5, iOS/iPadOS 15.7.8 and 16.6, tvOS 16.6) to all affected devices to patch the kernel 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
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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 device and operating system
    Determine whether the system is running iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS. On iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > General > About > Version. On macOS, go to Apple menu > About This Mac. On tvOS, go to Settings > General > About > Version. On watchOS, check the Settings > About section on the watch or through the iPhone Watch app.
    Affected if The device runs any of the affected Apple operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS)
  2. Check iOS or iPadOS version
    If the device is an iPhone or iPad, note the version number displayed in Settings > General > About > Version.
    Affected if The version is less than 15.7.8, or greater than or equal to 16.0 but less than 16.6
  3. Check macOS version
    If the system is a Mac, note the version number from Apple menu > About This Mac. Look at both the version (e.g., 13.5) and the build number.
    Affected if The version is less than 11.7.9, or between 12.0 and 12.6.7 inclusive, or between 13.0 and 13.4 inclusive
  4. Check tvOS version
    If the device is an Apple TV, note the version number from Settings > General > About > Version.
    Affected if The version is less than 16.6
  5. Check watchOS version
    If the device is an Apple Watch, note the version number from Settings > About on the watch, or check through the iPhone Watch app under My Watch > General > About.
    Affected if The version is less than 9.6

The environment is affected if the installed Apple operating system version falls within any of the vulnerable ranges: iOS/iPadOS < 15.7.8 or >= 16.0 and < 16.6; macOS < 11.7.9, 12.0-12.6.7, or 13.0-13.4; tvOS < 16.6; or watchOS < 9.6.

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 available OS updates (watchOS 9.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Ventura 13.5, iOS/iPadOS 15.7.8 and 16.6, tvOS 16.6) to all affected devices to patch the kernel vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to iOS/iPadOS 15.7.8 or 16.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Ventura 13.5, tvOS 16.6, or watchOS 9.6 as appropriate

  1. Identify the current iOS/iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS version on the affected device
  2. Determine the appropriate upgrade path based on the current version: For iOS/iPadOS 15.x, upgrade to 15.7.8; for iOS/iPadOS 16.x, upgrade to 16.6; for macOS Big Sur 11.x, upgrade to 11.7.9; for macOS Monterey 12.x, upgrade to 12.6.8; for macOS Ventura 13.x, upgrade to 13.5; for tvOS, upgrade to 16.6; for watchOS, upgrade to 9.6
  3. Back up the device using iCloud or Finder/iTunes as a precaution
  4. Install the appropriate security update via Settings > General > Software Update (iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/tvOS) or System Preferences > Software Update (macOS)
Caveat Standard OS update considerations apply - ensure app compatibility and backup before upgrading

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2023-38604 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