Security Resilience

CVE-2023-32439

Memory Safety in Apple Ipados ≤ 15.7.7

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 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 0.24 98th percentile
Risk Priority 90 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-2023-32439 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 Junk Data (T1001.001); ranked in the top 2% 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, tracked as CVE-2023-32439 and assigned CWE-843, was present in WebKit components used by Apple platforms. The flaw affected iOS 16.5 and earlier, iPadOS 16.5 and earlier, iOS 15.7.6 and earlier, iPadOS 15.7.6 and earlier, macOS Ventura 13.4 and earlier, and Safari 16.5 and earlier. It was resolved through improved type checks in the updates iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, iOS 15.7.7, iPadOS 15.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, and Safari 16.5.1.

An unauthenticated remote attacker could exploit the issue by serving maliciously crafted web content that a victim processes in a vulnerable browser or app. Successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected process, corresponding to the CVSS 8.8 rating that reflects network attack vector, low complexity, and no required privileges.

Apple security advisories HT213811, HT213813, HT213814, and HT213816 state that users should install the listed updates to address the vulnerability. The same advisories note that Apple is aware of reports indicating the issue may have been actively exploited in the wild. The associated EPSS score has remained flat at 0.0116 with no material increase observed after disclosure.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A type confusion issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.5.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1, iOS 15.7.7 and iPadOS 15.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, Safari 16.5.1. 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
23 June 2023

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control
Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003 OS Credential Dumping Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump credentials to obtain account login and credential material, normally in the form of a hash or a clear text password.
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 →
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
attack.mitre.org →
T1011.001 Exfiltration Over Bluetooth Exfiltration
Adversaries may attempt to exfiltrate data over Bluetooth rather than the command and control channel.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-23529Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2022-42856Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2024-23222Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2023-28204Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2021-30869Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2021-1789Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2020-27932Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2026-43705Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-43000Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV
CVE-2023-28205Same product: Apple Ipadosboth on KEV

Affected Assets

apple
safari
≤ 16.5.1
apple
ipados
≤ 15.7.7 · 16.0 — 16.5.1
apple
iphone os
≤ 15.7.7 · 16.0 — 16.5.1
apple
macos
13.0 — 13.4.1
webkitgtk
webkitgtk\+
≤ 2.42.3

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
  • 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 partial match
blocks

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.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