# CVE-2023-38606: Apple Multiple Products Kernel Unspecified

> An app can modify sensitive kernel state, potentially leading to privilege escalation, affecting Apple operating systems.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 26 Jul 2023 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Jul 2023
- **Updated:** 30 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8fwg-w59v-g942

## What is CVE-2023-38606?

CVE-2023-38606 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 26 Jul 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

This issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.6.8, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Ventura 13.5, watchOS 9.6. An app may be able to modify sensitive kernel state. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-38606?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Apple Ipados, Apple Iphone Os, Apple Macos, Apple Tvos, Apple Watchos.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-38606?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-38606 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 16 Aug 2023.

## Is CVE-2023-38606 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-38606 in the wild since at least 26 Jul 2023.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Ipados

- [CVE-2025-43300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-43300/): Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Out-of-Bounds Write (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-24201](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24201/): Apple Multiple Products WebKit Out-of-Bounds Write (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-24085](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24085/): Apple Multiple Products Use-After-Free (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-31200](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31200/): Apple Multiple Products Memory Corruption (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-31201](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31201/): Apple Multiple Products Arbitrary Read and Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-38606 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-38606 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 26 Jul 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-38606 in the wild since at least 26 Jul 2023.

Affected product: Apple Ipados. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38606/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38606/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-38606
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-38606
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-38606

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38606/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.