CVE-2023-38606

MEDIUM

5.5

CVSS Score

Published: July 26, 2023 at 11:55 PM UTC

Updated: June 17, 2026 at 06:10 AM UTC

5 products affected across 1 vendormacOSiPhone OSiPadOS

Using tvOS by Apple?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect tvOS - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available

Start Free Sign In

Severity

MEDIUM5.5

Exploitation

CISA KEV

Exploit prediction

EPSS 3%

SSVC

Active

Actively Exploited

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog

EPSS Score2.9%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) estimates a 2.9% chance this CVE is exploited in the wild within the next 30 days — higher than 87% of all CVEs. It complements CVSS: a high EPSS on a mid-severity CVE can still be urgent.

Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS contain an unspecified vulnerability allowing an app to modify a sensitive kernel state.

Required Action

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Ransomware Use

Unknown

Added to KEV

Jul 26, 2023

Remediation Due

Aug 16, 2023

1173 days overdue

Notes

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213841, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213842, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213843,https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213844,https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213845,https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213846,https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213848

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-38606

Description

This issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.6.8, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Ventura 13.5, watchOS 9.6. An app may be able to modify sensitive kernel state. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

iPadOS · Apple

95%

v < 15.7v < 15.7.8v < 16.616.0 ≤ v < 16.6

Affected range stops below 15.7, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 15.7.8, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 16.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

iPhone OS · Apple

95%

v < 15.7.816.0 ≤ v < 16.6

Affected range stops below 15.7.8, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 16.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

macOS · Apple

95%

v < 11.7v < 12.6v < 13.511.0 ≤ v < 11.7.912.0.0 ≤ v < 12.6.813.0 ≤ v < 13.5

Affected range stops below 11.7, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 11.7.9, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 12.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 12.6.8, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 13.5, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

tvOS · Apple

95%

v < 16.6

Affected range stops below 16.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

watchOS · Apple

95%

v < 9.6

Affected range stops below 9.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

Patch and advisory references

References (8)

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213841

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213842

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213843

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213844

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213845

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213846

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213848

US Government Resource

Source: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-38606

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCActiveNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

5.5MEDIUMCISA-ADP

Attack Vector: LOCAL
Complexity: LOW
Privileges: LOW
User Interaction: NONE
Scope: UNCHANGED
Confidentiality: NONE
Integrity: HIGH
Availability: NONE

Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED

CWE

NVD-CWE-noinfo

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Create account Sign in

Free plan, no card