CVE-2023-32439: Apple iOS and iPadOS · Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.
Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5
Exploited in the wild · KEV due 14 Jul 2023 · 23% EPSS : upgrade to 16.5.1 now.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- KEV deadline
- US federal agencies must patch by this date; a sensible deadline for everyone else.
- EPSS
- 23.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 97% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 16.5.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 23 Jun 2023
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: evidence found.
Listed in CISA KEV the same day as disclosure
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
Timeline
CVE ID reserved
by apple
, 46 days before disclosure
CVE published
on cve.org
, t = 0
Added to CISA KEV (opens in a new tab)
exploitation confirmed
, the same day as disclosure
KEV remediation due
US federal deadline
, 21 days after disclosure
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CISA KEV (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.
What to do
Upgrade apple/ios and apple/ipados to 16.5.1.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Appleapple/iospkg:deb/apple/iosOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Appleapple/ipadospkg:deb/apple/ipadosOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
CVE-2023-32439 is a high-severity type confusion vulnerability in Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS Ventura, and Safari that allows arbitrary code execution when processing maliciously crafted web content. The flaw arises from insufficient type checks, which Apple has addressed in iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, iOS 15.7.7, iPadOS 15.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.
References
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213811 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213816 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213814 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213813 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213814 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213816 (opens in a new tab)
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-04 (opens in a new tab)
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-32439 (opens in a new tab)