How severe is CVE-2023-41968?

CVE-2023-41968 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 high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2023-41968 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (29th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-41968?

CVE-2023-41968 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-2023-41968?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2023-41968 published?

CVE-2023-41968 was published on 2023-09-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-41968

CVE-2023-41968 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apple Ipados with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (29th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Apple Ipados
Published: 2023-09-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.6, tvOS 17, macOS Monterey 12.7, watchOS 10, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma 14. An app may be able to read arbitrary files.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-41968?: This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.6, tvOS 17, macOS Monterey 12.7, watchOS 10, iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma 14. An app may be able to read arbitrary files.
How severe is CVE-2023-41968?: CVE-2023-41968 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 high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-41968 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (29th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-41968?: CVE-2023-41968 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-2023-41968?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-41968 published?: CVE-2023-41968 was published on 2023-09-27 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 →

Other CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (Link Following)) vulnerabilities

CVE-2024-37143 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Dell PowerFlex appliance versions prior to IC 46.381.00 and IC 46.376.00, Dell PowerFlex rack versions prior to RCM…
CVE-2024-28189 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Judge0 is an open-source online code execution system. The application uses the UNIX chown command on an untrusted file…
CVE-2024-28185 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Judge0 is an open-source online code execution system. The application does not account for symlinks placed inside the…
CVE-2022-22995 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The combination of primitives offered by SMB and AFP in their default configuration allows the arbitrary writing of…
CVE-2014-4480 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Directory traversal vulnerability in afc in AppleFileConduit in Apple iOS before 8.1.3 and Apple TV before 7.0.3 allows…
CVE-2002-2374 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in pprosetup in Sun PatchPro 2.0 has unknown impact and attack vectors related to "unsafe use…

Browse all CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (Link Following)) vulnerabilities →