CVE-2023-42917
Apple Multiple Products WebKit Memory Corruption Vulnerability
Apple Multiple Products
A memory corruption vulnerability was addressed with improved locking. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2, macOS Sonoma 14.1.2, Safari 17.1.2. Processing web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 4 December 2023. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 25 December 2023.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 9.3%, which is higher than 95.4% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2023-42917 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2023-42917.
What does CVE-2023-42917 affect?
CVE-2023-42917 affects Apple Multiple Products. A memory corruption vulnerability was addressed with improved locking. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2, macOS Sonoma 14.1.2, Safari 17.1.2. Processing web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1.
How severe is CVE-2023-42917?
CVE-2023-42917 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 8.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 9.3%, higher than 95.4% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 25 December 2023.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2023-42917?
Apply the vendor patch for Apple Multiple Products as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.