CVE-2023-42893VulnerabilityPublished 28 Mar 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-42893: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An app may be able to access protected user data

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 12.7.2 : update Apple iOS and iPadOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 17% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 12.7.2

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 28 Mar 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.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

AI-suggested

1. Immediately update all Apple devices to the patched OS versions listed: iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, iOS 16.7.3, iPadOS 16.7.3, macOS Monterey 12.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.6.3, macOS Sonoma 14.2, tvOS 17.2, and watchOS 10.2. 2. Enforce strict app installation policies, limiting installations to trusted sources such as the official Apple App Store and using Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to control app permissions. 3. Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted apps and the importance of user interaction in exploitation to reduce social engineering risks. 4. Monitor device logs and behavior for unusual app activity that could indicate attempts to exploit permission weaknesses. 5. Implement endpoint security solutions capable of detecting anomalous access patterns to protected data on Apple devices. 6. Regularly review and audit app permissions and remove unnecessary or suspicious applications. 7. For organizations with BYOD policies, ensure compliance with patch management and security standards for personal devices accessing corporate resources.

Description

A permissions issue was addressed by removing vulnerable code and adding additional checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.6.3, iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2, iOS 16.7.3 and iPadOS 16.7.3, tvOS 17.2, watchOS 10.2, macOS Sonoma 14.2. An app may be able to access protected user data.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized access to sensitive user data on Apple devices, potentially leading to data breaches and privacy violations. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and enterprises with BYOD policies are particularly vulnerable due to the sensitive nature of their data. The confidentiality breach could result in exposure of personal identifiable information (PII), intellectual property, or confidential communications. Since exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the threat is more relevant in scenarios where attackers can trick users into installing malicious apps or gaining physical access to devices. This could undermine trust in Apple devices within corporate environments and complicate compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations. The medium severity indicates a moderate but non-negligible risk, emphasizing the need for timely patching and user awareness to prevent exploitation.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 20:22 UTC

Technical details

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