CVE-2023-41974: Apple iOS and iPadOS Use-After-Free Vulnerability

Published Sep 18, 2023
·
Updated

A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, iOS 15.8.7 and iPadOS 15.8.7. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

Other sources

Accessibility. This issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information.

— Apple

Airport. A permissions issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information.

— Apple

App Store. The issue was addressed with improved handling of protocols.

— Apple

Apple iOS and iPadOS contain a use-after-free vulnerability. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

— CISA

Apple Neural Engine. A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management.

— Apple

Credit

Certik Skyfall Team(Ant Security Light), pattern-f@@pattern_F_(Ant Security Light), Zweig(Kunlun Lab), Félix Poulin-Bélanger, Mohamed GHANNAM@@_simo36, Ye Zhang@@VAR10CK(Baidu Security), Tim Michaud@@TimGMichaud(Moveworks), Mickey Jin@@patch1t, Wojciech Reguła@@_r3ggi, Kirin@@Pwnrin, Chris Ross (Zoom), Csaba Fitzl@@theevilbit(Offensive Security), Liang Wei(PixiePoint Security), zer0k, Adam M., Noah Roskin-Frazee, Professor Jason Lau (ZeroClicks.ai Lab), Will Brattain at Trail(Bits), 이준성(Junsung Lee)(Cross Republic), Kirin@@Pwnrin(NorthSea), Zhice Yang (ShanghaiTech University), Certik Skyfall Team, Antonio Zekic@@antoniozekic(Dataflow Security), Ron Masas(Imperva), Mikko Kenttälä )@@Turmio_(SensorFu), Linus Henze(Pinauten GmbH), Pan ZhenPeng@@Peterpan0927(STAR Labs SG Pte), Michael (Biscuit) Thomas, 张师傅(@京东蓝军), Joseph Ravichandran@@0xjprx(MIT CSAIL), Sei K., Zhipeng Huo@@R3dF09(Tencent Security Xuanwu Lab), Dohyun Lee@@l33d0hyun(PK Security), Adam M.(SecuRing), (SecuRing), Wojciech Regula(SecuRing), Adam M.(BreakPoint Security Research), (BreakPoint Security Research), Ron Masas(BreakPoint Security Research), Gergely Kalman@@gergely_kalman, weize she, an anonymous researcher, Berke Kırbaş, Harsh Jaiswal, Tomi Tokics@@tomitokics(iTomsn0w), Adriatik Raci(Sentry Cybersecurity), Narendra Bhati (twitter.com/imnarendrabhati)(Suma Soft Pvt), Pune (India), Kenneth Chew, Yiğit Can YILMAZ@@yilmazcanyigit, Arsenii Kostromin (0x3c3e), Abhay Kailasia@@abhay_kailasia(Lakshmi Narain College Of Technology Bhopal), James Hutchins, Brian McNulty(Offensive Security), Arsenii Kostromin (0x3c3e)(Offensive Security), Joshua Jewett@@JoshJewett33(Offensive Security), (Offensive Security), Francisco Alonso@@revskills(PK Security), (PK Security), Francisco Alonso@@revskills, Jie Ding@@Lime(HKUS3 Lab), Dong Jun Kim@@smlijun(AbyssLab), Jong Seong Kim@@nevul37(AbyssLab), zhunki, 이준성(Junsung Lee), Claire Houston, Anonymous, Wang Yu(Cyberserval), w0wbox, CVE-2024-23222, Apple

Affected Software

9 affected componentsFixes available
Apple iOS<17
17
Apple iPadOS<17
17
Apple iOS and iPadOS
Apple iOS<15.8.7
15.8.7
Apple iPadOS<15.8.7
15.8.7
Apple iPadOS<15.8.7
Apple iPadOS>=16.0<17.0
Apple iPhone OS<15.8.7
Apple iPhone OS>=16.0<17.0

Remediation

Information

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Event History

Sep 18, 2023
Data Sourced
via Apple·12:00 AM
DescriptionWeaknessAffected Software
Updated
via Apple·12:00 AM
DescriptionWeakness
Jan 10, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:03 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:03 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·10:15 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Mar 5, 2026
Known Exploited
via CISA·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via CISA·12:00 AM
RemedyDescriptionAffected Software
Mar 11, 2026
Updated
via Apple·12:00 AM
DescriptionWeaknessAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Peer vulnerabilities

Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.

Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2023-41974?

CVE-2023-41974 has a high-severity rating due to its potential to allow arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges.

2

How do I fix CVE-2023-41974?

To fix CVE-2023-41974, update your device to iOS 17 or iPadOS 17.

3

Which devices are affected by CVE-2023-41974?

CVE-2023-41974 affects devices running iOS versions up to 17 and iPadOS versions up to 17.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2023-41974?

CVE-2023-41974 is classified as a use-after-free vulnerability.

5

What impact does CVE-2023-41974 have on device security?

CVE-2023-41974 could allow an app to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, compromising device security.

Company

Resources

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203