CVE-2023-41990: Apple Multiple Products

Should you act?

Exploited: patch now if you run it

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

Yes, if you run Apple Multiple Products. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-01-08, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2024-01-29; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
EPSS 1.4%, percentile 72: FIRST’s model estimates a 1.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 72% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
Needs local access needed. Lower urgency for most teams unless an attacker could already run code on the machine.

What it is

The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is fixed in tvOS 16.3, iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, macOS Ventura 13.2, watchOS 9.3. Processing a font file may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.

CISA’s summary

Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS contain an unspecified vulnerability that allows for code execution when processing a font file.

Product: Apple Multiple Products · Assigned by: apple · Published: 2023-09-11

Affected and fixed versions

Vendor	Product	Affected versions (per CVE record)
Apple	iOS and iPadOS	unspecified < 16.3
Apple	tvOS	unspecified < 16.3
Apple	iOS and iPadOS	unspecified < 15.7
Apple	macOS	unspecified < 11.7
Apple	macOS	unspecified < 13.2
Apple	macOS	unspecified < 12.6
Apple	watchOS	unspecified < 9.3

Severity scores

Scored by	CVSS	Score	Vector
CISA-ADP	3.1	7.8 High	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`

Attack vector: local access needed
Attack complexity: low
Privileges required: none (no login)
User interaction: required (a user must click/open something)
Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

CISA KEV: added 2024-01-08; federal due date 2024-01-29. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.
FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 1.39% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 72.

Timeline

2023-09-11 — CVE record published by apple
2024-01-08 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
2024-01-29 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
2025-10-21 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.