{"id":"CVE-2023-38606","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2023-38606"],"related":[],"title":"This issue was addressed with improved state management","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.","summary":"An unspecified flaw in the Apple kernel on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS lets an app modify sensitive kernel state. Attackers are exploiting it in the wild, according to CISA.","severity":"high","cvss":5.5,"epss":null,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2023-07-26T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Apple Multiple Products","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple ipados","fixed":["15.7.8"],"affected":"< 15.7.8","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple ipados","fixed":["16.6"],"affected":">= 16.0, < 16.6","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple iphone os","fixed":["15.7.8"],"affected":"< 15.7.8","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple iphone os","fixed":["16.6"],"affected":">= 16.0, < 16.6","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple macos","fixed":["11.7.9"],"affected":">= 11.0, < 11.7.9","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple macos","fixed":["12.6.8"],"affected":">= 12.0.0, < 12.6.8","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple macos","fixed":["13.5"],"affected":">= 13.0, < 13.5","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple tvos","fixed":["16.6"],"affected":"< 16.6","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"apple watchos","fixed":["9.6"],"affected":"< 9.6","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["apple","exploited","infrastructure","ios","ipados","macos","tvos","watchos"],"not_affected_if":["fully-patched-devices"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":"Apply Apple's vendor mitigations or update to a patched OS version; the sources do not name the exact version. Discontinue use of unpatched devices if mitigations are unavailable, per CISA.","status":"open","published_at":"2023-07-26T00:00:00+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:04:52+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T22:29:04+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:04:52Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply Apple's vendor mitigations or update to a patched OS version; the sources do not name the exact version. Discontinue use of unpatched devices if mitigations are unavailable, per CISA.","reach":"local","impact":"high","summary":"An unspecified flaw in the Apple kernel on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS lets an app modify sensitive kernel state. Attackers are exploiting it in the wild, according to CISA.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["apple","ios","ipados","macos","tvos","watchos"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"unknown","worst_case":"malicious app can modify kernel state, enabling device takeover","analyst_note":"Find the patched OS versions and Apple security notes for CVE-2023-38606 on support.apple.com/security, and confirm exploitation details from CISA KEV.","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["fully-patched-devices"],"user_interaction":"unknown","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000476,"input_tokens":2820,"output_tokens":388,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-2023':10A,13A '-38606':11A,14A '11.7.9':108C '12.6.8':92C '13.5':111C '15.7.1':145C '15.7.8':94C,97C '16.6':99C,102C,104C '9.6':113C 'abl':118C 'accord':74B 'activ':136C 'address':4A,80C 'app':62B,115C 'appl':38B,51B,124C 'apple':15A,18A,20A,22A,25A,28A,30A,32A,34A,36A 'attack':67B 'awar':126C 'big':106C 'cisa':76B 'cve':9A,12A 'exploit':39B,69B,137C 'fix':88C 'flaw':48B 'improv':6A,82C 'infrastructur':40B 'io':41B,54B,93C,98C,141C,144C 'ipado':42B,55B,96C,101C 'ipados':19A,21A 'iphone':23A,26A 'issu':2A,78C,86C,132C 'kernel':52B,65B,122C 'let':60B 'maco':43B,56B,90C,105C,109C 'macos':29A,31A,33A 'manag':8A,84C 'may':116C,133C 'modifi':63B,120C 'monterey':91C 'multiple':16A 'os':24A,27A 'products':17A 'releas':142C 'report':129C 'sensit':64B,121C 'state':7A,66B,83C,123C 'sur':107C 'tvos':35A,44B,57B,103C 'unspecifi':47B 'ventura':110C 'version':139C 'watcho':45B,59B,112C 'watchos':37A 'wild':73B","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2023-07-26T00:00:00+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2023-07-26","dueDate":"2023-08-16","requiredAction":"Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2023-38606","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2023-38606","severity":null,"published_at":"2023-07-26T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T14:39:39+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2023-38606","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-38606","severity":null,"published_at":"2023-07-27T00:15:16+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T06:10:49+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T22:29:04+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T22:29:04+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}