CVE-2023-41990

HIGH

7.8

CVSS Score

Published: September 11, 2023 at 11:29 PM UTC

Updated: June 17, 2026 at 06:23 AM UTC

5 products affected across 1 vendormacOSiPhone OSiPadOS

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Severity

HIGH7.8

Exploitation

CISA KEV

Exploit prediction

EPSS 1%

SSVC

Active

Actively Exploited

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog

EPSS Score1.4%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) estimates a 1.4% chance this CVE is exploited in the wild within the next 30 days — higher than 72% 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 that allows for code execution when processing a font file.

Required Action

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

Ransomware Use

Unknown

Added to KEV

Jan 8, 2024

Remediation Due

Jan 29, 2024

1004 days overdue

Notes

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213599, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213601, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213605, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213606, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213842, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213844, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213845

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-41990

Description

The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is fixed in tvOS 16.3, iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, macOS Ventura 13.2, watchOS 9.3. Processing a font file may lead to arbitrary code execution. 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 < 16.316.0 ≤ v < 16.3

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 16.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

iPhone OS · Apple

95%

v < 15.7.816.0 ≤ v < 16.3

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

Affected range stops below 16.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

macOS · Apple

95%

v < 11.7v < 11.7.9v < 12.6v < 13.212.0.0 ≤ v < 12.6.813.0 ≤ v < 13.2

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 13.2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

tvOS · Apple

95%

v < 16.3

Affected range stops below 16.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

watchOS · Apple

95%

v < 9.3

Affected range stops below 9.3, 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/HT213599

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213601

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213605

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213606

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

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

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

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

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

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

US Government Resource

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

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-41990

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCActiveNot automatableTotal impact

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

CVSS

7.8HIGHCISA-ADP

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

Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED

CWE

NVD-CWE-noinfo

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