CVE-2023-32435

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in Apple devices. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for Apple’s, see Apple flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2023-32435 is a security flaw in Apple devices, the software on Apple’s iPhones, iPads and Macs. Attackers can run their own code on Apple devices. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 23 Jun 2023.[1]

Apple devices is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Fixed in version 13.3, 15.7 and 16.4.

Description

CISA calls it a webKit memory corruption in Apple Multiple Products. In its words: “Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Safari WebKit contain a memory corruption vulnerability that leads to code execution when processing maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability could impact HTML parsers that use WebKit, including but not limited to Apple Safari and non-Apple products which rely on WebKit for HTML processing.”[1]

The underlying weakness is out-of-bounds write (CWE-787), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]

It scores 8.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record lists these fixed versions: in each line, everything before the version shown is affected.[2]

ProductFixed in
macOS13.3
iOS and iPadOS15.7
Safari16.4
iOS and iPadOS16.4

Every device with Apple devices needs the update.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 23 Jun 2023, within a day of it being made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 14 Jul 2023 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 23%. That’s in the top 3% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

Apple has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]

  1. Update Apple devices now.On iPhone and iPad: Settings, General, Software Update. On a Mac: System Settings, General, Software Update. Install it on every Apple device in the house. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
  2. Check you’re on 13.3 or later.Fixed in version 13.3, 15.7 and 16.4. Anything older is what attackers are going after.
  3. If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 23%.[4]

See also

Other Apple devices flaws

Other out-of-bounds write flaws

  • CVE-2026-53266, Linux Kernel: out-of-bounds write ·
  • CVE-2026-87491, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: out of bounds write ·
  • CVE-2026-53362, Linux Kernel: unspecified ·
  • CVE-2022-0995, Linux Kernel: out-of-bounds write ·
  • CVE-2026-11645, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: out-of-bounds read and write ·

Added the same day

  • CVE-2023-32439, Apple devices: webKit type confusion ·
  • CVE-2023-32434, Apple devices: integer overflow ·
  • CVE-2023-27992, Zyxel Multiple Network-Attached Storage (NAS) Devices: multiple NAS devices command injection ·
  • CVE-2023-20867, VMware Tools: authentication bypass ·

Every Apple flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in June 2023

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Apple Multiple Products WebKit Memory Corruption Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 23 Jun 2023.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2023-32435 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 23 Jun 2023.
  3. ^ Apple. Advisories and fixes: support.apple.com, support.apple.com, support.apple.com, support.apple.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.230, percentile 97.7, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2023-32435”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.