CVE-2023-28205: Apple Multiple Products WebKit Use-After-Free Vulnerability

What it is

A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in Safari 16.4.1, iOS 15.7.5 and iPadOS 15.7.5, iOS 16.4.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1, macOS Ventura 13.3.1. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

Exploitation evidence

First exploit evidence seen: 2023-04-10 (earliest date across the sources below).

Exploited in the wild

• CISA KEV: listed since 2023-04-10. Source

Public exploit code

GitHub proof-of-concept repositories

2 public repositories from 2 accounts, first seen 2024-11-30. Most starred: ntfargo/uaf-2023-28205 (18 stars), view repository.

Verify before running: public PoCs can be malicious. Read the code and only run it in an isolated lab. A PoC means exploit code is public, not that this CVE is exploited in the wild.

Sources: CISA KEV · nomi-sec/PoC-in-GitHub.

How to fix it

CISA required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions. (source: CISA KEV)

Fixed versions

• apple safari: upgrade to 16.4.1 or later
• apple ipados: upgrade to 15.7.5 or later
• apple ipados: upgrade to 16.4.1 or later (affected from 16.0)
• apple iphone os: upgrade to 15.7.5 or later
• apple iphone os: upgrade to 16.4.1 or later (affected from 16.0)
• apple macos: upgrade to 13.3.1 or later

Derived from the NVD CPE configuration (versionEndExcluding / versionEndIncluding). Always confirm with the vendor advisory.

Vendor advisories and patches

• https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213720,https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213721,https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213722,https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213723 (CISA KEV notes)
• https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213720 (Release Notes)
• https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213721 (Release Notes)
• https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213722 (Release Notes)
• https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213723 (Release Notes)

MITRE ATT&CK mitigations for this chain

• M1050 Exploit Protection (for T1203) : Security applications that look for behavior used during exploitation such as Windows Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG) and the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) can be used to mitigate some exploitation behavior. Control flow integrity checking is another way to potentially identify and stop a software exploi
• M1051 Update Software (for T1203) : Perform regular software updates to mitigate exploitation risk. Keeping software up-to-date with the latest security patches helps prevent adversaries from exploiting known vulnerabilities in client software, reducing the risk of successful attacks.
• M1048 Application Isolation and Sandboxing (for T1203) : Browser sandboxes can be used to mitigate some of the impact of exploitation, but sandbox escapes may still exist. Other types of virtualization and application microsegmentation may also mitigate the impact of client-side exploitation. Risks of additional exploits and weaknesses in those systems may still exist.

Detection Generic guidance

• Execution: Watch for the service process spawning shells or script interpreters (cmd.exe, powershell, sh, bash, python) via EDR process-tree rules.

Response checklist Generic guidance

1. Inventory: find every instance of the affected product and version (include internet-facing and forgotten ones).
2. Patch or mitigate per the vendor advisory; if you cannot patch, remove internet exposure or apply the vendor workaround.
3. Assume compromise if the system was exposed before patching: hunt for the indicators in the advisory and review logs back to the disclosure date.
4. Rotate credentials and secrets stored on or used by the affected system if compromise cannot be ruled out.