CVE-2023-42946VulnerabilityPublished 21 Feb 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-42946: Apple tvOS · An app may be able to leak sensitive user information

Affects Apple tvOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High : upgrade to 17.1 soon.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

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

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 37% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 17.1

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
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: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
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 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.

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

Upgrade apple/tvos to 17.1.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Appleapple/tvos`pkg:deb/apple/tvos`Other threats	Affected <17.1	Fixed in 17.1

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately verify the versions of Apple operating systems deployed across their environments and prioritize upgrading to the patched versions: tvOS 17.1, watchOS 10.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, iOS 17.1, and iPadOS 17.1. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application vetting policies to limit installation of untrusted or unnecessary apps, especially on Apple TV and mobile devices. Employ Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce OS updates and restrict app permissions that could access sensitive information. Conduct regular audits of device configurations and monitor for unusual app behavior or data exfiltration attempts. Educate users about the risks of installing unverified applications. Additionally, organizations should review data handling policies on Apple devices to minimize sensitive data exposure and consider network segmentation to isolate critical systems from devices that may be vulnerable. Finally, maintain up-to-date threat intelligence feeds to detect any emerging exploits targeting this vulnerability.

Description

This issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information. This issue is fixed in tvOS 17.1, watchOS 10.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1. An app may be able to leak sensitive user information.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-42946 centers on the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user information, which could include personal data, credentials, or other confidential details stored or processed on Apple devices. This leakage could undermine user privacy, violate data protection regulations such as GDPR, and damage organizational reputation. Sectors relying heavily on Apple ecosystems—such as media companies using Apple TV devices, enterprises with iOS/macOS endpoints, and consumer-facing businesses—face increased risk. The vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, so operational disruption is unlikely; however, the confidentiality breach could facilitate further attacks or espionage. Given the widespread use of Apple products in Europe, failure to patch could expose organizations to compliance risks and potential data breaches. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits targeting this vulnerability.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 19:50 UTC

Technical details

References

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