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A vulnerability was discovered in iOS/iPadOS 16 and macOS 13 by Félix Poulin-Bélanger identified as CVE-2023-41974. Poulin-Bélanger recently generated extensive proof-of-concept code, which can win a race condition and exploit a use-after-free which results in Kernel read and write operations. This vulnerability was recently patched by Apple in a security release for iOS and iPadOS 17. There are also updates for macOS regarding other use-after-free vulnerabilities here.
iOS and iPadOS are commonly used operating systems for Apple devices and are used by all manner of users either for personal or business use. The code, if exploited, will allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges, which are the highest level of privilege. If an attacker obtains this level of privilege, it is tantamount to the attacker having the device in their hands because the kernel manages all machine processes.
The impact of this vulnerability is high to Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability; it can allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code, cause a denial of service, or modify memory. The chance of exploitation is high because proof-of-concept code is publicly available.
Review your organization’s software inventory for any instances of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or macOS 13. If they are found, update them to the latest version.
Update your iOS, iPadOS, or macOS instances. Follow this guide on how to update these devices.
The impact on business operations will vary depending on how the attacker uses this vulnerability. An attacker would have had to perform some other exploit to gain access to the system first. Then CVE-2023-41974 would need to be exploited. If performed successfully, the attacker will have the capability to execute arbitrary code which could cause data loss, data exfiltration, monetary loss, or denial of service.
Patch: Apply patches to affected Apple devices and update ASAP. Proof of concept code allows attackers to work much faster on exploits.
Harden: An attacker would have more than likely already accessed the device in some degree to perform an exploit using this vulnerability. It is important to harden defenses and have proper security specifications in place and limit attack surfaces.
https://github.com/felix-pb/kfd/blob/main/writeups/landa.md
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213938
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204204
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/416.html
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