Apple Multiple Products Code Execution Vulnerability
Apple — iOS and iPadOS
The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is fixed in tvOS 16.3, iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, macOS Ventura 13.2, watchOS 9.3. Processing a font file may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.
7.8
1.1%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Published
- Sep 11, 2023
- Modified
- Oct 21, 2025
- Added to KEV
- Jan 8, 2024
- Federal patch due
- Jan 29, 2024
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
Weaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2023-41990, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
No public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2023-41990 were found at last check. Absence here is not proof no exploit exists - see the references below for vendor advisories and write-ups.
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2023-41990?
The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is fixed in tvOS 16.3, iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, macOS Ventura 13.2, watchOS 9.3. Processing a font file may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.
How severe is CVE-2023-41990?
CVE-2023-41990 has a CVSS base score of 7.8 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2023-41990 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2023-41990 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Jan 8, 2024, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2023-41990?
1.1% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 1.1% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (63% percentile among all scored CVEs).
Cross-checked against
Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2023-41990 - or flaws like it - are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.
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