Skip to main content
CVE-2023-42974VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2023-42974: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.0 High : upgrade to 17.2 or 16.7.3 soon.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.0High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 3% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 17.2, 16.7.3
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 28 Mar 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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

Upgrade Apple iOS and iPadOS to 17.2 or 16.7.3.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Apple iOS and iPadOSAffected
  • <16.7.3
  • <17.2
Fixed in
  • 16.7.3
  • 17.2

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately prioritize updating all affected Apple devices to the patched OS versions: iOS and iPadOS 16.7.3 and 17.2, and macOS Monterey 12.7.2, Ventura 13.6.3, and Sonoma 14.2. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict app installation policies, limiting app sources to trusted vendors and using Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to control app deployment. User education is critical to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could trigger user interaction required for exploitation. Employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of monitoring for unusual kernel-level activity may help detect exploitation attempts. Regular audits of device compliance and security posture should be conducted. Additionally, organizations should review and tighten local access controls to prevent unauthorized physical or remote local access to devices. Finally, maintaining up-to-date backups and incident response plans will help mitigate damage if exploitation occurs.

Description

A race condition was addressed with improved state handling. 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, macOS Sonoma 14.2. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…