CVE-2024-23223 is a privacy vulnerability affecting Apple iOS and iPadOS platforms, as well as other Apple operating systems like macOS Sonoma, watchOS, and tvOS. The issue stems from improper handling of files within the operating system, which may allow a malicious app to access sensitive user data without proper authorization. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-732, which relates to incorrect permission assignment for critical resources, indicating that the flaw involves insufficient access control mechanisms. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.2, reflecting a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) indicates that exploitation requires local access (AV:L), has low attack complexity (AC:L), does not require privileges (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality with a high impact (C:H) but does not affect integrity or availability. This means that an attacker with local access to the device could exploit this vulnerability to read sensitive data without needing to trick the user or escalate privileges. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple in updates released as iOS and iPadOS 17.3, macOS Sonoma 14.3, watchOS 10.3, and tvOS 17.3, which improved file handling to prevent unauthorized access. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date, but the potential for sensitive data exposure makes this a significant privacy concern. Given the nature of the vulnerability, it primarily affects apps running on the device that could leverage the flaw to access data they should not be able to read, potentially including personal information, credentials, or other confidential user data.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-23223 can be significant, especially for those relying heavily on Apple mobile devices for business operations, communications, and data storage. The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive corporate or personal data if a malicious app is installed on employee devices. This risk is particularly relevant for sectors handling sensitive information such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government agencies. The breach of confidentiality could result in regulatory non-compliance under GDPR, leading to legal penalties and reputational damage. Furthermore, the lack of requirement for user interaction or privileges lowers the barrier for exploitation once local access is obtained, increasing the risk in environments where device control is not tightly managed. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, the exposure of confidential data alone can have severe consequences, including intellectual property theft, espionage, or targeted phishing attacks based on leaked information.

To mitigate CVE-2024-23223 effectively, European organizations should prioritize the following actions: 1) Immediate deployment of the Apple security updates (iOS/iPadOS 17.3 and corresponding OS versions) across all managed Apple devices to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2) Enforce strict mobile device management (MDM) policies that restrict installation of untrusted or non-enterprise apps, reducing the risk of malicious applications exploiting the vulnerability. 3) Implement application whitelisting and continuous monitoring for anomalous app behavior that could indicate attempts to access unauthorized data. 4) Educate users about the risks of installing apps from unofficial sources and the importance of keeping devices updated. 5) Conduct regular audits of device security posture and app permissions to detect and remediate any unauthorized access attempts. 6) For highly sensitive environments, consider additional endpoint protection solutions that can detect suspicious file access patterns or privilege escalation attempts. These measures, combined with patching, will reduce the attack surface and limit the potential for exploitation.