CVE-2023-42824 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Apple’s iOS and iPadOS operating systems, identified in versions prior to 16.6. The flaw allows a local attacker—someone with physical or logical access to the device but with limited privileges—to elevate their permissions, potentially gaining full control over the device. The vulnerability arises from insufficient security checks within the operating system, which Apple has addressed by implementing improved validation mechanisms in iOS and iPadOS 16.7.1. The vulnerability does not require user interaction, increasing its risk profile, and affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the device. Apple has acknowledged reports of active exploitation before iOS 16.6, indicating that threat actors have leveraged this vulnerability in the wild, although no large-scale campaigns have been confirmed. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 reflects a high severity rating, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), low privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). This vulnerability is particularly concerning for environments where iOS and iPadOS devices are used to access sensitive corporate or governmental data, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass security controls and execute arbitrary code or access protected information. The fix involves updating devices to iOS/iPadOS 16.7.1 or later, which includes enhanced security checks to prevent privilege escalation. Organizations should also enforce strict device access policies to limit local attacker opportunities.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-42824 can be significant, especially in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure where iOS and iPadOS devices are commonly used for secure communications and data access. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, disruption of services, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks if devices are connected to enterprise environments. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and systems could be compromised, resulting in regulatory non-compliance, financial losses, and reputational damage. Given the local attack vector, the threat is more pronounced in scenarios where devices are physically accessible or where attackers have limited but legitimate access (e.g., insider threats or compromised endpoints). The active exploitation reports heighten urgency for European organizations to assess their device fleet and patch promptly. Additionally, organizations relying on mobile device management (MDM) solutions must ensure these are configured to enforce timely updates and restrict unauthorized local access.

1. Immediately update all iOS and iPadOS devices to version 16.7.1 or later to apply the security fix addressing CVE-2023-42824. 2. Enforce strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to devices, including secure storage and device lock policies. 3. Utilize Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce automatic updates and monitor device compliance status. 4. Implement strong authentication mechanisms such as biometric locks and complex passcodes to reduce the risk of local exploitation. 5. Limit the installation of untrusted applications and restrict developer mode or jailbreaking to reduce attack surface. 6. Educate users about the risks of leaving devices unattended or lending them to untrusted individuals. 7. Monitor device logs and network activity for unusual behavior indicative of privilege escalation attempts. 8. For high-risk environments, consider additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of detecting local privilege escalation behaviors. 9. Regularly audit device configurations and access policies to ensure compliance with security best practices. 10. Coordinate with incident response teams to prepare for potential exploitation scenarios and establish rapid remediation workflows.