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…

Browse: All 2023 CVEs · All vendors

CVSS score: 5.5 Medium
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
CISA KEV: Yes — actively exploited (added 2023-07-26, remediation due 2023-08-16)
Published: 2023-07-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17
NVD status: Analyzed

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.

Affected products

apple ipados
apple iphone os
apple macos
apple tvos
apple watchos

Affected ranges per NVD CPE data; confirm exact versions in the vendor advisory.

Required action (CISA)

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Federal remediation deadline: 2023-08-16.

How to prioritize this

This vulnerability is on the CISA KEV list, meaning it is being actively exploited — treat it as urgent regardless of the raw CVSS number. Use the live CVE lookup for the latest NVD data, and the CVSS 3.1 calculator to model your own environmental score.

References

FAQ

Is CVE-2023-38606 actively exploited?

Yes. CISA added CVE-2023-38606 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2023-07-26, with a federal remediation deadline of 2023-08-16. A KEV listing means real-world exploitation is confirmed, so patching this should be prioritized above many higher-CVSS bugs that aren't being exploited.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-38606?

CVE-2023-38606 has a CVSS base score of 5.5 (Medium). Its vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.

Related vulnerabilities

Data source: NVD & CISA KEV. Shown as-is; nothing added. Last generated from NVD data — re-check the live tool for updates.