CVE-2023-42888: Apple iOS and iPadOS · Processing a maliciously crafted image may result in disclosure of process memory
Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium : upgrade to 16.7.5 when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 40% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 16.7.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 2026-10-26.
What to do
Upgrade Apple iOS and iPadOS to 16.7.5.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Apple iOS and iPadOS | Affected
| Fixed in
|
AI-suggested
1. Apply the latest Apple security updates immediately on all affected devices, including iOS 16.7.5, iPadOS 16.7.5, watchOS 10.2, macOS Ventura 13.6.4, macOS Sonoma 14.2, macOS Monterey 12.7.3, and iOS/iPadOS 17.2 or later. 2. Implement strict controls on image file sources by restricting downloads and email attachments from untrusted or unknown senders. 3. Educate users to avoid opening images from suspicious or unsolicited messages to reduce the risk of triggering the vulnerability. 4. Use mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce update policies and monitor device compliance. 5. Employ network-level protections such as email filtering and sandboxing to detect and block malicious image files before reaching end users. 6. Monitor for unusual application behavior or memory leaks that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7. Review and limit app permissions to reduce the attack surface related to image processing where feasible.
Description
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.7.5 and iPadOS 16.7.5, watchOS 10.2, macOS Ventura 13.6.4, macOS Sonoma 14.2, macOS Monterey 12.7.3, iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2. Processing a maliciously crafted image may result in disclosure of process memory.
References
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214035 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214058 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214063 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214036 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214041 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214057 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT214036 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT214035 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT214041 (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/34 (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/37 (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/38 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT214063 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/kb/HT214058 (opens in a new tab)