CVE-2023-28185 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple iOS and iPadOS platforms, as well as related operating systems such as tvOS, watchOS, and macOS versions Big Sur and Monterey. The vulnerability stems from an integer overflow issue, categorized under CWE-190, which occurs when an arithmetic operation attempts to create a numeric value that exceeds the maximum size the data type can hold. This flaw allows a maliciously crafted app to trigger a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by exploiting improper input validation. Specifically, the integer overflow can cause the affected system to crash or become unresponsive, impacting availability. The vulnerability requires local access (AV:L) and no privileges (PR:N) but does require user interaction (UI:R), meaning a user must run or interact with the malicious app for exploitation. The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is limited to availability (A:H) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. Apple has addressed this issue through improved input validation in updates including iOS and iPadOS 16.4, 15.7.4, tvOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4, and macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and Monterey 12.6.4. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and the vulnerability was publicly disclosed in January 2024. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level due to the limited impact and exploitation requirements.

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily threatens the availability of Apple devices running vulnerable versions of iOS, iPadOS, and related operating systems. A successful exploit could cause devices to crash or become unresponsive, disrupting business operations, especially in environments relying heavily on Apple hardware for communication, productivity, or critical applications. While the vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity, the denial-of-service effect could interrupt workflows, delay communications, and potentially impact customer-facing services if Apple devices are integral to operations. Sectors such as healthcare, finance, and government, which often use Apple devices for secure communications and mobile operations, may experience operational disruptions. However, the requirement for local access and user interaction limits the risk of widespread automated exploitation, reducing the likelihood of large-scale attacks. Still, targeted attacks or insider threats could leverage this vulnerability to cause disruption.

European organizations should prioritize deploying the official Apple security updates that address CVE-2023-28185 across all affected devices, including iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and Macs running the specified OS versions. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application control policies to limit installation of untrusted or unauthorized apps, reducing the risk of malicious apps exploiting this vulnerability. User education is critical to prevent inadvertent execution of suspicious apps, emphasizing caution when installing new applications or interacting with unknown sources. Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions should enforce update compliance and restrict app installations to vetted sources such as the Apple App Store. Additionally, monitoring device health and crash logs can help detect potential exploitation attempts. For environments with high security requirements, consider restricting local device access and enforcing strong authentication to reduce the risk of malicious app deployment. Regularly reviewing and updating incident response plans to include scenarios involving device availability loss due to DoS attacks will improve organizational resilience.