CVE-2023-40437VulnerabilityPublished 10 Jan 2024Updated 3 Jun 2025

CVE-2023-40437: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An app may be able to read sensitive location information

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium : upgrade to 16.6 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 16.6

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Jan 2024
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: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade apple/ios and apple/ipados to 16.6.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Appleapple/ios`pkg:deb/apple/ios`Other threats	Affected <16.6	Fixed in 16.6
Appleapple/ipados`pkg:deb/apple/ipados`Other threats	Affected <16.6	Fixed in 16.6

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

European organizations should ensure all iOS and iPadOS devices are updated to version 16.6 or later, and macOS devices to Ventura 13.5 or later, to apply the patch that fixes this vulnerability. Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions should enforce timely OS updates and restrict installation of untrusted or unauthorized applications to reduce risk of malicious app deployment. Organizations should audit app permissions and educate users about the risks of installing apps from unverified sources. Additionally, monitoring device logs and network traffic for unusual access patterns or data exfiltration attempts related to location data can help detect exploitation attempts. For highly sensitive environments, consider restricting use of personal devices or implementing strict app vetting policies. Finally, review privacy policies and compliance documentation to ensure any potential data leakage is accounted for and mitigated.

Description

A privacy issue was addressed with improved private data redaction for log entries. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5. An app may be able to read sensitive location information.

Impact

For European organizations, the leakage of sensitive location information through compromised or malicious apps can have significant privacy and security implications. Location data can reveal employee movements, sensitive site visits, or operational patterns, which could be exploited for targeted attacks, espionage, or competitive intelligence. Organizations handling sensitive or regulated data, such as those in finance, government, healthcare, or critical infrastructure, may face compliance risks under GDPR and other privacy regulations if location data is exposed without consent. The medium severity suggests that while the vulnerability is not trivially exploitable remotely, the risk remains for insider threats or social engineering attacks leading to installation of malicious apps. The impact is heightened in environments where iOS/iPadOS devices are widely used for business operations, especially in sectors relying on mobile workforce or location-based services.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Jul 2025, 14:10 UTC

Technical details

References

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