CVE-2023-42962 is a vulnerability in Apple’s iOS and iPadOS operating systems that allows a remote attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition on affected devices. The root cause is insufficient validation or improper handling of certain inputs, which an attacker can exploit to crash the system or render it unresponsive. This vulnerability does not require any privileges or user interaction, making it remotely exploitable over the network. The issue was addressed by Apple through improved input validation checks in iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, and the security update releases 16.7.3 for both platforms. The vulnerability impacts device availability but does not compromise confidentiality or integrity of data. No public exploits or active exploitation campaigns have been reported to date. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity primarily due to the ease of remote exploitation and the potential to disrupt device functionality. This vulnerability could be leveraged by attackers to disrupt business operations, especially in environments relying heavily on mobile Apple devices for communication and critical tasks.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2023-42962 is the potential disruption of mobile device availability. This can affect employees’ ability to communicate, access corporate resources, and perform mobile-dependent operations, leading to productivity losses. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, which rely on secure and reliable mobile communications, could experience operational interruptions. Although the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or allow unauthorized access, denial-of-service conditions can degrade trust in mobile device reliability and may be exploited as part of broader attack campaigns to cause disruption. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or those issuing Apple devices to employees are particularly vulnerable if devices are not promptly updated. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits following public disclosure.

European organizations should prioritize updating all iOS and iPadOS devices to versions 17.2, 16.7.3, or later as soon as possible to remediate this vulnerability. Mobile device management (MDM) solutions should be used to enforce patch compliance and monitor device OS versions. Network-level protections such as firewalls and intrusion prevention systems can be configured to limit exposure of vulnerable devices to untrusted networks. Organizations should also educate users about the importance of applying updates promptly and monitor for unusual device behavior indicative of denial-of-service attempts. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, restricting network access to critical Apple devices or segmenting them can reduce attack surface. Incident response plans should include procedures for handling potential DoS incidents on mobile devices to minimize operational impact.