High

Kernel arbitrary code execution in Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS

IdentifiersCVE-2023-38425CWE-787

Apple states that CVE-2023-38425 was addressed with improved memory handling and is fixed in iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, and macOS Ventura 13.5. The available advisory text says that an app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. No further technical detail about the specific vulnerable component, function, or root cause is provided in the supplied content.

For your environment

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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 could allow a local application to achieve arbitrary code execution in kernel context. This would give the attacker code execution at the highest privilege level of the operating system, enabling full device compromise, including bypass of app sandboxing, tampering with kernel state, access to sensitive data, installation of persistent components, 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 or unnecessary applications, enforcing application allowlisting/MDM controls where available, and restricting local code execution to trusted software only. Because the issue is exploitable by an app and results in kernel-level code execution, there is no complete mitigation short of applying Apple's security updates.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the vendor fixes provided by Apple: upgrade affected devices to iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, or macOS Ventura 13.5 or later, as appropriate. Apple indicates the issue was resolved through improved memory handling.

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

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

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

2 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

2 SOURCESView more in app

apple supportNews

Jan 25, 2026

About the security content of iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 - Apple Support

Unknown (CVE referenced without technical description in the provided content).

apple supportNews

Jan 19, 2026

Informazioni sui contenuti di sicurezza di iOS 16.6 e iPadOS 16.6 - Supporto Apple (IT)

Vulnerabilità Apple (dettagli tecnici non specificati nel testo) corretta tramite aggiornamento di sicurezza.

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.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

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