dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2023-40447

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.1 / 14.1 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 memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1, watchOS 10.1, iOS 16.7.2 and iPadOS 16.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.1, Safari 17.1, tvOS 17.1. 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

Memory handling vulnerability in WebKit allowing arbitrary code execution when processing malicious web content. Fixed in iOS 17.1/iPadOS 17.1, watchOS 10.1, iOS 16.7.2/iPadOS 16.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.1, Safari 17.1, and tvOS 17.1.

MitigationUpdate all affected Apple devices to the fixed versions (iOS 17.1+, iPadOS 17.1+, watchOS 10.1+, macOS Sonoma 14.1+, Safari 17.1+, tvOS 17.1+) to remediate.

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:< 17.1
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 16.7.2>= 17.0, < 17.1
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 16.7.2>= 17.0, < 17.1
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 14.0, < 14.1
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 17.1
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 10.1

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. Check iOS or iPadOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About on the iPhone or iPad. Note the software version number displayed.
    Affected if Version is earlier than 16.7.2, or falls between 17.0 and 17.0.x (before 17.1) AND the device uses Safari or any app that loads web content via WebKit.
  2. Check macOS version
    Click the Apple menu > About This Mac. Note the macOS version displayed (such as 14.0, 14.0.x, etc.).
    Affected if Version starts with 14.0 and is earlier than 14.1 AND Safari or any application uses WebKit to render web content.
  3. Check watchOS version
    Open the Watch app on the paired iPhone, go to General > About, or on the Apple Watch go to Settings > General > About. Note the watchOS version.
    Affected if Version is earlier than 10.1 AND the Apple Watch uses any web-based functionality through WebKit.
  4. Check tvOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About on Apple TV. Note the tvOS version number.
    Affected if Version is earlier than 17.1 AND the Apple TV uses web content through WebKit.
  5. Check Safari version on macOS
    With Safari open, click Safari > About Safari (or press Cmd+Comma). Note the Safari version number.
    Affected if Version is earlier than 17.1 AND Safari is used to browse web content (Safari on macOS uses WebKit by default).

The environment is affected if the device runs any of the listed Apple operating systems or Safari versions below the fixed releases AND processes web content through WebKit (which includes default Safari usage and many apps that render web pages).

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 10.1 / 14.1 / 16.7.2 or later
Fixed in 10.114.116.7.2
Interim mitigation

Update all affected Apple devices to the fixed versions (iOS 17.1+, iPadOS 17.1+, watchOS 10.1+, macOS Sonoma 14.1+, Safari 17.1+, tvOS 17.1+) to remediate.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 17.1 / iPadOS 17.1 / iOS 16.7.2 / iPadOS 16.7.2 / macOS Sonoma 14.1 / Safari 17.1 / watchOS 10.1 / tvOS 17.1

  1. Check current device OS version in Settings > General > About (iOS/iPadOS) or System Settings > General > About (macOS)
  2. Ensure device is connected to Wi-Fi and has sufficient battery or is plugged into power
  3. For iOS/iPadOS: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update
  4. For macOS: Go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update
  5. For watchOS: On iPhone, open Watch app, go to General > Software Update
  6. For tvOS: Go to Settings > General > Apple TV Software Update
  7. After update completes, verify the fix by confirming the version matches the fixed release (iOS 17.1, iPadOS 17.1, iOS 16.7.2, iPadOS 16.7.2, macOS 14.1, Safari 17.1, watchOS 10.1, tvOS 17.1)
Caveat Standard OS update risks apply (potential app compatibility issues with older software)

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

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-40447 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-40447 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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