# CVE-2023-40418: Auth bypass in watchOS

> An authentication flaw in the Depth app prevents the Apple Watch from locking, allowing unauthorized access to the device.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 4 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4p2m-q353-666c

## What is CVE-2023-40418?

CVE-2023-40418 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Apple Watchos, published on 26 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An authentication issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in watchOS 10. An Apple Watch Ultra may not lock when using the Depth app.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-40418?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Apple Watchos.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-40418?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-40418 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-40418 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-40418 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Watchos

- [CVE-2019-8743](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8743/): Memory corruption in watchOS (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-8765](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8765/): Memory corruption in watchOS (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-3834](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3834/): Memory corruption in watchOS (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2019-8747](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8747/): Memory corruption in watchOS (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2019-8624](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8624/): Information disclosure in watchOS (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-40418 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-40418 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Apple Watchos, published on 26 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-40418 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apple Watchos. 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-2023-40418/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40418/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-40418
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40418
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-40418

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40418/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.