Security Resilience

CVE-2023-32434

Memory Safety in Apple Macos 11.0 – 11.7.8

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedMemory Safety
Published
23 June 2023
Modified
23 October 2025
KEV Added
23 June 2023
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.52 99th percentile
Risk Priority 83 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-32434 is a high-severity Integer Overflow or Wraparound (CWE-190) vulnerability in Apple Macos. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique LSA Secrets (T1003.004); ranked in the top 1% 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.

An integer overflow vulnerability addressed through improved input validation affects multiple Apple operating systems, including iOS 15.7.7 and iPadOS 15.7.7, iOS 16.5.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS Big Sur 11.7.8, macOS Monterey 12.6.7, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, watchOS 9.5.2, and watchOS 8.8.1. The flaw carries a CVSS score of 7.8 and is tracked under CWE-190.

A local attacker with the ability to run an app on an affected device can exploit the issue to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. The attack requires user interaction to open a malicious application but needs no additional permissions beyond that.

Apple security advisories for the listed updates confirm that the patches resolve the integer overflow and recommend installing the fixed releases. The updates are available via the standard software update mechanisms on each platform.

Apple has stated that the vulnerability may have been actively exploited in the wild against iOS versions prior to 15.7. The associated EPSS score reached a peak of 0.6905 with a current value of 0.5238.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An integer overflow was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in watchOS 9.5.2, macOS Big Sur 11.7.8, iOS 15.7.7 and iPadOS 15.7.7, macOS Monterey 12.6.7, watchOS 8.8.1, iOS 16.5.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1. An app…

more

may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.

CWE(s)
CWE-190
KEV Date Added
23 June 2023

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access
Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.005 Cached Domain Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access cached domain credentials used to allow authentication to occur in the event a domain controller is unavailable.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.008 /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump the contents of <code>/etc/passwd</code> and <code>/etc/shadow</code> to enable offline password cracking.
attack.mitre.org →
T1006 Direct Volume Access Stealth
Adversaries may directly access a volume to bypass file access controls and file system monitoring.
attack.mitre.org →
T1008 Fallback Channels Command And Control
Adversaries may use fallback or alternate communication channels if the primary channel is compromised or inaccessible in order to maintain reliable command and control and to avoid data transfer thresholds.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

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CVE-2026-28952Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2026-43818Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2026-65346Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2025-31221Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2024-44198Same product: Apple Ipados

Affected Assets

apple
ipados
≤ 15.7.7 · 16.0 — 16.5.1
apple
iphone os
≤ 15.7.7 · 16.0 — 16.5.1
apple
macos
11.0 — 11.7.8 · 12.0.0 — 12.6.7 · 13.0 — 13.4.1
apple
watchos
≤ 8.8.1 · 9.0 — 9.5.2

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)
  • V5.2.6

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 partial match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices directly require use of safe arithmetic, bounds checks, and testing that prevent integer overflows.

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.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.8.10 Information deletion partial match
removes

References