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Mallory
High

Kernel Use-After-Free in Apple operating systems

IdentifiersCVE-2023-32381CWE-416· Use After Free

CVE-2023-32381 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Apple operating systems. Apple states that the issue was addressed with improved memory management and that successful exploitation may allow an application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. The vulnerability affects Apple platforms prior to the fixes released in macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Ventura 13.5, iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, and watchOS 9.6. Specific vulnerable function or component details are not provided in the supplied content.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation may permit arbitrary code execution in kernel context. This can result in full compromise of the affected device, including bypass of application isolation boundaries, elevation from app-level execution to kernel privileges, tampering with kernel state, installation of persistent malware, access to sensitive data, and potential disabling of security controls.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by limiting installation and execution of untrusted applications, enforcing strong application control and MDM policies on managed Apple devices, restricting local code execution to trusted software, and monitoring for signs of abnormal app behavior or kernel instability. These are only compensating controls; the primary mitigation is to install the fixed OS release.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the vendor-provided updates that fix the issue: iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, or macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, as appropriate for the affected device. Apple indicates the issue was resolved through improved memory management.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AppleIpadosoperating_system
AppleIphone Osoperating_system
AppleMacosoperating_system
AppleTvosoperating_system
AppleWatchosoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.
Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.