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CVE-2023-38603

7.5 HIGH
Denial of Service

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to cause denial-of-service on affected Apple devices. The issue affects iOS, iPadOS, and macOS systems before specific patched versions. Users of unpatched Apple devices are vulnerable to service disruption.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:
  • iOS
  • iPadOS
  • macOS
Versions: Versions before iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5
Operating Systems: iOS, iPadOS, macOS
Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes
Notes: All default configurations of affected versions are vulnerable

📦 What is this software?

Ipados by Apple

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Ipados by Apple

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Iphone Os by Apple

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Iphone Os by Apple

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Macos by Apple

macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...

Learn more about Macos →

Macos by Apple

macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...

Learn more about Macos →

Macos by Apple

macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...

Learn more about Macos →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system crash or service unavailability requiring reboot

🟠

Likely Case

Temporary service disruption or application crashes

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and updated systems

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Remote attackers can trigger denial-of-service without authentication
🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal attackers could exploit but network controls may limit impact

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No
Weaponized: UNKNOWN
Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes
Complexity: LOW

Apple has addressed the issue but exploit details are not publicly disclosed

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5

Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213841

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Open Settings app. 2. Go to General > Software Update. 3. Download and install available updates. 4. Restart device when prompted.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network segmentation

all

Isolate vulnerable devices from untrusted networks

Firewall restrictions

all

Block unnecessary inbound network traffic to affected devices

🧯 If You Can't Patch

  • Isolate vulnerable devices in separate network segments
  • Implement strict network access controls and monitoring

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check device version in Settings > General > About > Software Version

Check Version:

iOS/iPadOS: Settings > General > About; macOS: About This Mac > Overview

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify version is iOS 16.6+, iPadOS 16.6+, or macOS Ventura 13.5+

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

  • Unexpected system crashes
  • Service termination logs
  • Kernel panic reports

Network Indicators:

  • Unusual traffic patterns to Apple services
  • Connection attempts to vulnerable ports

SIEM Query:

source="apple-devices" AND (event_type="crash" OR event_type="panic")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-38603
CVSS v3 Score: 7.5 (HIGH)
CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Published: July 27, 2023
Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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