How severe is CVE-2023-38606?

CVE-2023-38606 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2023-38606 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-38606 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2023-07-26, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-38606?

CVE-2023-38606 primarily affects Apple Ipados. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-38606?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2023-38606 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2023-38606 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-42405. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2023-07-26).

When was CVE-2023-38606 published?

CVE-2023-38606 was published on 2023-07-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-38606

CVE-2023-38606 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apple Ipados with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2023-07-26).

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (59th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2023-07-26)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2023-42405
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2023-07-26)
Affected product: Apple Ipados
Published: 2023-07-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

This issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.6.8, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Ventura 13.5, watchOS 9.6. An app may be able to modify sensitive kernel state. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-38606?: This issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.6.8, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Ventura 13.5, watchOS 9.6. An app may be able to modify sensitive kernel state. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.
How severe is CVE-2023-38606?: CVE-2023-38606 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-38606 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2023-38606 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2023-07-26, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-38606?: CVE-2023-38606 primarily affects Apple Ipados. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-38606?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2023-38606 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2023-38606 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-42405. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2023-07-26).
When was CVE-2023-38606 published?: CVE-2023-38606 was published on 2023-07-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:o:apple:ipados:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:tvos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:watchos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Apple Ipados

CVE-2025-43300 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.8.5 and iPadOS…
CVE-2025-24201 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved checks to prevent unauthorized actions. This issue is fixed in…
CVE-2025-24085 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3,…
CVE-2022-32845 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in watchOS 8.7, iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, macOS…
CVE-2019-8779 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A logic issue applied the incorrect restrictions. This issue was addressed by updating the logic to apply the correct…
CVE-2026-28858 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): A buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4. A…

All CVEs affecting Apple Ipados →