dbcve.org
WatchosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-40418

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.0 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
An authentication issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in watchOS 10. An Apple Watch Ultra may not lock when using the Depth app.

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

The Depth app on Apple Watch Ultra running watchOS 10 fails to properly trigger device lock due to an authentication/state management flaw. When the depth sensing session ends or the user exits the app, the watch does not enforce the lock screen as expected, potentially leaving the device accessible.

MitigationUpdate to the fixed version of watchOS 10. For enterprise deployments, ensure all Apple Watch Ultra devices are updated and verify the lock behavior functions correctly after the update.

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
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 10.0

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
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 Apple Watch model
    On the Apple Watch, go to Settings > General > About. Check the model name or model number to confirm it is an Apple Watch Ultra. The Depth app is only available on Ultra models.
    Affected if The device is an Apple Watch Ultra running watchOS versions earlier than 10.0
  2. Check watchOS version
    On the Apple Watch, go to Settings > General > About. Locate the Version field. Alternatively, open the Watch app on paired iPhone and go to My Watch > General > About to see the watchOS version.
    Affected if The watchOS version shown is earlier than 10.0 (for example, 9.6.x or earlier)
  3. Verify Depth app presence
    On the Apple Watch, scroll through the Home Screen (Grid View) or App Library to locate the Depth app. It is typically pre-installed on Watch Ultra and cannot be uninstalled.
    Affected if The Depth app is installed on the device
  4. Test lock behavior after Depth session
    Open the Depth app and start a depth sensing session. Exit the app by pressing the crown button or by any other means. Observe whether the watch immediately prompts for passcode or displays the lock screen after exiting the app.
    Affected if After exiting the Depth app, the watch does not show the lock screen or require authentication, allowing direct access to the Home Screen and apps

User is affected if they have an Apple Watch Ultra running watchOS versions earlier than 10.0, and the device does not lock after exiting the Depth app.

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 10.0 or later
Fixed in 10.0
Interim mitigation

Update to the fixed version of watchOS 10. For enterprise deployments, ensure all Apple Watch Ultra devices are updated and verify the lock behavior functions correctly after the update.

Recommended fix High confidence

watchOS 10.0

  1. Back up your Apple Watch data before proceeding with the update
  2. Ensure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi and connected to power
  3. Open the Watch app on your iPhone
  4. Tap on the My Watch tab, then tap General
  5. Tap Software Update
  6. If a watchOS 10.0 or later update is available, tap Download and Install
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation

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

Fix this in Watchos Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.

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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-2023-40418 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