CVE-2023-23524: Denial-of-Service Vulnerability Fixed in macOS Ventura 13.2.1, iOS 16.3.1, iPadOS 16.3.1, tvOS 16.3.2, and watchOS 9.3.1

A security vulnerability, assigned the identifier CVE-2023-23524, has recently been discovered in Apple operating systems. This vulnerability is a denial-of-service issue that can be exploited by sending a maliciously crafted certificate to a targeted device.

This post includes an in-depth analysis of CVE-2023-23524, along with a code snippet, links to the original references, and the details about the exploit. Apple has fixed this vulnerability in macOS Ventura 13.2.1, iOS 16.3.1 and iPadOS 16.3.1, tvOS 16.3.2, watchOS 9.3.1.

CVE-2023-23524 Overview

A denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability exists in macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS, which can be exploited by processing a maliciously crafted certificate from an attacker. This can lead to a temporary or complete denial of service for the affected device, making it unresponsive and unusable.

Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates how a maliciously crafted certificate could cause a crash, resulting in a denial-of-service:

// MaliciousCertificate.c
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdint.h>

// Example of a maliciously crafted certificate
uint8_t malicious_certificate[3] = {x01, x02, x03};

int main() {
  // Process malicious certificate
  printf("Processing malicious certificate...\n");
  // ... (code to handle the certificate, causing a crash)
  return ;
}

Exploit Details

The CVE-2023-23524 vulnerability can be exploited by sending a specifically crafted certificate to the target device. The certificate may contain data that the system cannot handle properly, causing it to crash and resulting in a denial-of-service.

This type of attack aims to deprive the target device of its functionality. Worst-case scenarios include complete crashes, while less severe cases could result in a slowing down of various system processes.

To learn more about this vulnerability, please refer to the following official sources

1. Apple Security Advisory: Apple-SA-2023-03-01-1
2. CVE Details: CVE-2023-23524

watchOS 9.3.1

Users are recommended to update their devices to the latest versions of the respective software to protect against exploitation.

Conclusion

The CVE-2023-23524 vulnerability poses a severe risk to Apple devices. By processing a maliciously crafted certificate, an attacker can cause a denial-of-service attack on the targeted device. To mitigate this issue, Apple has issued software updates for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

It is essential to ensure that your devices are up-to-date and running the latest software versions to protect against such vulnerabilities.

Timeline

Published on: 02/27/2023 20:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 03/08/2023 15:26:00 UTC