CVE-2023-42870: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% 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:H/I:H/A:HExploitation 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 2026-10-25.
What to do
AI-suggested
European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation strategies: 1) Immediately deploy the latest Apple OS updates (iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma 14) across all managed devices to remediate the vulnerability. 2) Enforce strict mobile device management (MDM) policies that restrict app installations to trusted sources such as the Apple App Store and block sideloading or enterprise app installations without proper vetting. 3) Educate users on the risks of installing untrusted apps and the importance of avoiding suspicious links or prompts that could trigger exploitation. 4) Monitor device behavior for anomalies indicative of kernel-level compromise, such as unexpected privilege escalations or unauthorized system modifications. 5) Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting kernel exploits on Apple devices. 6) For high-security environments, consider additional controls such as device encryption, multi-factor authentication for device access, and network segmentation to limit lateral movement if a device is compromised. 7) Maintain an incident response plan that includes procedures for rapid containment and remediation of compromised Apple devices.
Description
A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.