Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-23529

Memory Safety in Apple Ipados ≤ 15.7.4

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedMemory Safety
Published
27 February 2023
Modified
23 October 2025
KEV Added
14 February 2023
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.095 95th percentile
Risk Priority 90 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-23529 is a high-severity Type Confusion (CWE-843) vulnerability in Apple Ipados. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

A type confusion vulnerability addressed through improved input validation checks affects multiple Apple platforms, specifically iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4, iOS 16.3.1 and iPadOS 16.3.1, macOS Ventura 13.2.1, and Safari 16.3. The flaw resides in the handling of web content and carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8, corresponding to CWE-843.

An attacker can exploit the issue by serving maliciously crafted web content to a victim who visits the page in a vulnerable browser or application. Successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution in the context of the affected process, with no authentication or special privileges required beyond the user loading the page.

Apple security advisories for the listed updates state that the fixes are delivered through standard software updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Safari, and they explicitly note that the company is aware of reports indicating the vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild.

The EPSS score rose sharply from a low baseline to a peak of 0.0155 on the day after disclosure before receding, indicating a brief but measurable increase in observed exploitation interest following public release of the CVE.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A type confusion issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4, iOS 16.3.1 and iPadOS 16.3.1, macOS Ventura 13.2.1, Safari 16.3. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.…

more

Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

CWE(s)
CWE-843
KEV Date Added
14 February 2023

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
attack.mitre.org →
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
attack.mitre.org →
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access Credential Access
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to collect credentials.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2022-42856Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2024-23222Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2021-30869Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2023-28205Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2023-43000Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2022-22620Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2026-43705Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-32439Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2020-27932Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2023-32435Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV

Affected Assets

apple
safari
≤ 16.3
apple
ipados
≤ 15.7.4 · 16.0 — 16.3.1
apple
iphone os
≤ 15.7.4 · 16.0 — 16.3.1
apple
macos
13.0 — 13.2.1

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.5.2
  • V3.2.3
  • V15.3.5

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly prevent type-confusion flaws via safe typing, static analysis, and code review while the control itself addresses many additional weaknesses.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing in development can detect type-confusion vulnerabilities through fuzzing and static analysis.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
prevents

Secure SDLC mandates type-safe design and review that can catch type-confusion flaws.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
prevents

Application security requirements can specify strong typing and interface contracts that reduce type confusion.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
prevents

Secure architecture principles promote type-safe languages and memory-safety mechanisms that mitigate type confusion.

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
prevents

Secure coding standards directly forbid unsafe type casts and require static-analysis checks for type confusion.

References