# CVE-2023-41974: Apple iOS and iPadOS Use-After-Free

> An app can execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges due to a use-after-free vulnerability in Apple iOS and iPadOS.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 5 Mar 2026 (CISA KEV)
- **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:** 10 Jan 2024
- **Updated:** 12 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-58c3-hjfx-2gmq

## What is CVE-2023-41974?

CVE-2023-41974 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 10 Jan 2024. 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

A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, iOS 15.8.7 and iPadOS 15.8.7. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-41974?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Apple Ipados, Apple Iphone Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-41974?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-41974 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 26 Mar 2026.

## Is CVE-2023-41974 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-41974 in the wild since at least 5 Mar 2026.

## 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-2023-41974 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-41974 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 10 Jan 2024. 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: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-41974 in the wild since at least 5 Mar 2026.

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-2023-41974/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41974/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-41974
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-41974
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-41974

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41974/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.