Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-42848 is an Apple image-processing flaw. A maliciously crafted image could corrupt memory on affected Apple devices. Apple fixed it across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS releases. There is no supplied evidence of active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority Apple patching issue, especially for managed phones, tablets, Macs, Apple TVs, and watches exposed to untrusted content. The urgency is driven by memory corruption impact, not confirmed exploitation.
Technical view
The vulnerability is CWE-122 heap-based buffer overflow/heap corruption addressed by improved bounds checks. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8 high, with local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, and user interaction required. Supplied data does not identify the exact component beyond malicious image processing.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Apple endpoints that process untrusted images and have not been updated to the fixed releases listed by Apple. The source bundle lists affected versions as unspecified, so inventory must compare installed versions against fixed versions.
Exploitation context
The supplied sources describe exploitation as processing a maliciously crafted image, requiring user interaction. CISA KEV status is false in the bundle, and no cited source states active exploitation or public exploit availability.
Researcher notes
The useful facts are limited: heap corruption from crafted image processing, improved bounds checks, user interaction required, and fixed Apple OS releases. Do not assume a specific Apple framework, attack chain, or remote zero-click behavior from these sources.
Mitigation direction
- Update iOS and iPadOS to 16.7.2, 17.1, or later supported releases.
- Update macOS Sonoma to 14.1 and macOS Ventura to 13.6.1 or later.
- Update tvOS to 17.1 and watchOS to 10.1 or later.
- Use MDM compliance policies to enforce minimum fixed Apple OS versions.
- Check Apple security advisories for platform-specific applicability and newer superseding updates.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Apple devices by OS family and exact version.
- Compare installed versions against Apple’s fixed release list.
- Confirm MDM reports show compliant versions after update rollout.
- Prioritize devices that handle externally supplied images or messaging content.
- Review vendor advisories for any later corrections or superseding fixes.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-122: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-42848 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213981CVE reference
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213987CVE reference
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213984CVE reference
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213988CVE reference
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213985CVE reference
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213982CVE reference
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213988CVE reference
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213984CVE reference
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213982CVE reference
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Heap-based Buffer Overflow
Heap-based Buffer Overflow represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.