CVE-2023-28206: Critical Out-of-Bounds Write Issue Addressed in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS - Actively Exploited Security Vulnerability

Summary: A critical out-of-bounds write issue (CVE-2023-28206) has been recently disclosed and addressed by Apple. The vulnerability affects iOS 15.7.5, iPadOS 15.7.5, macOS Monterey 12.6.5, iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, macOS Big Sur 11.7.6, and macOS Ventura 13.3.1. When exploited, this vulnerability allows an app to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges. It has been reported that this issue may have been actively exploited in the wild.

Background: Apple has promptly addressed CVE-2023-28206, an out-of-bounds write issue, following a disclosure of a serious security vulnerability that affects multiple versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. This can lead to arbitrary code execution with kernel-level privileges, meaning an attacker may take complete control of a victim's system.

Original References:

Apple's security update page:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213091

CVE Details page

https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-28206

Exploit Details: Apple has not provided specific technical details regarding the exploit; however, an example of how an out-of-bounds write occurs can be explained through the following code snippet:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

int main() {
   char buffer[10];
   strncpy(buffer, "0123456789ABCDEF", sizeof(buffer));
   buffer[sizeof(buffer)-1] = '\';
   printf("%s\n", buffer);
   return ;
}

In this example, strncpy writes out-of-bounds data to the buffer, overflowing it with more characters than it can accommodate. If an attacker can manipulate the source data, they might inject malicious instructions, leading to arbitrary code execution.

macOS Ventura 13.3.1

Mitigation: Apple has addressed the out-of-bounds write issue in the aforementioned updated versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. In order to mitigate the risk of exploitation, users are strongly advised to update their devices to the latest patch provided by Apple. To update your iOS, iPadOS, or macOS device, follow these steps:

Install the latest update available

Please note that Apple is aware of public reports indicating that this issue may have been actively exploited. Therefore, users are encouraged to update their devices as soon as possible to protect against this critical security vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 04/10/2023 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 04/11/2023 14:35:00 UTC