CVE-2023-40528: Apple iOS and iPadOS · Improper Access Control
Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 15% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 23 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.
What to do
AI-suggested
- Immediately update all Apple devices to the latest OS versions where the vulnerability is patched (iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma 14, etc.).
- Enforce strict mobile device management (MDM) policies to control app installations, limiting them to trusted sources and vetted applications.
- Regularly audit app permissions and privacy settings on corporate devices to detect any anomalies or unauthorized access.
- Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted apps and the importance of user interaction in triggering the vulnerability.
- Implement network-level monitoring to detect unusual data flows from Apple devices that may indicate exploitation attempts.
- Integrate endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring Apple devices for suspicious behavior related to privacy bypass attempts.
- Maintain an incident response plan tailored to mobile device compromises, including forensic capabilities for iOS/iPadOS environments.
Description
This issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code. This issue is fixed in tvOS 17, watchOS 10, macOS Sonoma 14, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, macOS Ventura 13.6.4. An app may be able to bypass Privacy preferences.
References
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213938 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214058 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213936 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213940 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213937 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213940 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213937 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213938 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213936 (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/37 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT214058 (opens in a new tab)