CVE-2023-28202 in watchOS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/23/2023
This issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5, watchOS 9.5, tvOS 16.5, macOS Ventura 13.4. An app firewall setting may not take effect after exiting the Settings app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2023-28202 represents a critical flaw in the operating system's application firewall implementation that affects multiple Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS Ventura. This security issue stems from inadequate state management within the system's network access control mechanisms, specifically impacting how firewall rules are applied and maintained when users modify settings through the Settings application interface. The flaw demonstrates a failure in maintaining consistent security policies across system states, creating potential attack vectors that could allow unauthorized network access to applications.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of application firewall state transitions within Apple's operating system architecture. When users adjust firewall settings through the Settings app and subsequently exit the application, the system fails to properly propagate or enforce the updated security policies to running applications. This represents a classic state management failure that falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, where the system does not properly maintain consistent security contexts across user interactions. The issue manifests as a discrepancy between the configured firewall rules and the actual network access behavior of applications, potentially allowing applications to bypass newly configured restrictions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for end users and organizations relying on Apple devices for network security. The failure of firewall settings to persist after configuration changes means that security policies may not be effectively enforced, potentially allowing malicious applications to establish unauthorized network connections or access sensitive data. This issue particularly impacts environments where strict network access controls are required, such as enterprise networks, government agencies, or organizations handling sensitive information. The vulnerability could enable techniques aligned with the attack pattern described in ATT&CK tactic TA0011 (Command and Control) by allowing applications to bypass network restrictions that should prevent them from communicating with external threat actors or command and control servers.
The security implications extend beyond simple access control violations to encompass potential data exfiltration scenarios and privilege escalation opportunities. When firewall rules fail to take effect properly, attackers could exploit this weakness to maintain persistent access to network resources or establish covert communication channels. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of Apple's operating systems, where users expect that firewall settings configured through the Settings application will be immediately and consistently enforced. This failure in security policy enforcement creates a trust boundary violation that could be leveraged by threat actors to undermine the security posture of affected devices. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security assessment, particularly when evaluating the effectiveness of network access controls and the reliability of security policy enforcement mechanisms.
Apple's resolution of this vulnerability through the release of iOS 16.5, iPadOS 16.5, watchOS 9.5, tvOS 16.5, and macOS Ventura 13.4 demonstrates the importance of proper state management in security-critical system components. The fix addresses the root cause by implementing more robust state transition handling within the application firewall subsystem, ensuring that configuration changes are properly propagated and enforced regardless of how users interact with the Settings application. Security professionals should prioritize the deployment of these updates across affected systems and conduct thorough testing to verify that firewall policies are consistently applied and maintained. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of state management in security systems and the potential consequences when such management fails to maintain consistent security policies across all system states and user interactions.