CVE-2023-42848: Apple iOS and iPadOS · Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to heap corruption
Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High : upgrade to 16.7.2 soon.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- 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 16.7.2
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 21 Feb 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 2026-10-25.
What to do
Upgrade Apple iOS and iPadOS to 16.7.2.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Apple iOS and iPadOS | Affected
| Fixed in
|
AI-suggested
European organizations should prioritize the following mitigation steps: 1) Immediately deploy the latest Apple security updates (iOS 16.7.2, iOS 17.1, iPadOS 16.7.2, iPadOS 17.1, and related patches for macOS, watchOS, and tvOS) across all managed devices. 2) Implement strict policies to control the receipt and opening of image files from untrusted or unknown sources, including email filtering and endpoint protection solutions that scan image content. 3) Educate users about the risks of opening unsolicited images and encourage vigilance against phishing attempts. 4) Employ mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce update compliance and restrict installation of unapproved applications that might deliver malicious images. 5) Monitor device logs and network traffic for unusual activity that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6) Consider network segmentation and least privilege principles to limit lateral movement if a device is compromised. 7) Maintain regular backups and incident response plans tailored to mobile device compromise scenarios.
Description
The issue was addressed with improved bounds checks. This issue is fixed in watchOS 10.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, tvOS 17.1, iOS 16.7.2 and iPadOS 16.7.2, iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.1. Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to heap corruption.
References
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213981 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213987 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213984 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213988 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213985 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213982 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213988 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213984 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT213982 (opens in a new tab)