CVE-2023-42824: Apple iOS and iPadOS Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

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 iOS and iPadOS. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-10-05, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2023-10-26; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
• EPSS 1.0%, percentile 62: FIRST’s model estimates a 1.0% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 62% 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 checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.7.1 and iPadOS 16.7.1. A local attacker may be able to elevate their privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.6.

CISA’s summary

Apple iOS and iPadOS contain an unspecified vulnerability that allows for local privilege escalation.

Product: Apple iOS and iPadOS · Assigned by: apple · Published: 2023-10-04

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: local access needed
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: low (any account)
• User interaction: none
• 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 2023-10-05; federal due date 2023-10-26. 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): 0.97% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 62.

Timeline

• 2023-10-04 — CVE record published by apple
• 2023-10-05 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
• 2023-10-26 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
• 2025-11-04 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

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

Vendor and project advisories, patches

1. Listed in CISA KEV notes (support.apple.com) support.apple.com

Vulnerability records

1. CVE.org record CVE-2023-42824 cve.org
2. NVD entry CVE-2023-42824 nvd.nist.gov

Government

1. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry cisa.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. support.apple.com support.apple.com
2. support.apple.com support.apple.com
3. support.apple.com support.apple.com

All exploited Apple vulnerabilities · Today’s Security Digest