CVE-2023-32403 in watchOS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/23/2023
This issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information. This issue is fixed in watchOS 9.5, tvOS 16.5, macOS Ventura 13.4, iOS 15.7.6 and iPadOS 15.7.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.7, macOS Monterey 12.6.6, iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5. An app may be able to read sensitive location information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2026
This vulnerability represents a significant information disclosure issue affecting multiple Apple operating systems including watchOS, tvOS, and various macOS and iOS versions. The flaw stems from inadequate redaction mechanisms that allow applications to potentially access sensitive location data that should have been stripped or obscured during processing. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, which specifically addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, making it a critical concern for user privacy and data protection. The issue manifests when applications bypass proper sanitization protocols, creating potential attack vectors for malicious actors seeking to exploit location data for surveillance or other nefarious purposes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the failure of proper data sanitization processes within Apple's operating system frameworks. When applications process location information, they should employ robust redaction mechanisms that remove or obscure sensitive details before data is exposed to other processes or stored in accessible locations. However, the flaw indicates that certain pathways within the system's information handling processes do not adequately filter or sanitize location data, allowing unauthorized access to potentially sensitive geographic information. This represents a breakdown in the principle of least privilege and data minimization, where applications should only access the minimum required information to perform their functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially enable location-based attacks and surveillance operations. Attackers could exploit this weakness to gather detailed location histories, track user movements, or correlate location data with other personal information to build comprehensive behavioral profiles. The vulnerability affects multiple device types and operating system versions, amplifying its potential impact across Apple's ecosystem. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to T1074.001 (Data Staged) and T1566.002 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment), as it enables both data collection and potential exploitation through malicious applications. The vulnerability could be leveraged to create persistent surveillance capabilities that operate without user knowledge or consent.
Apple's response to this vulnerability involved implementing enhanced redaction mechanisms across affected operating system versions, requiring users to update to specific patched releases including watchOS 9.5, tvOS 16.5, macOS Ventura 13.4, and various iOS/iPadOS versions. The mitigation strategy focuses on strengthening data sanitization protocols and ensuring that sensitive information is properly filtered before being accessible to applications. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of these updates and implement additional monitoring for suspicious application behavior that might attempt to exploit similar information disclosure vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider conducting vulnerability assessments to identify any custom applications or third-party tools that might be affected by similar redaction failures, as this type of vulnerability often indicates broader systemic weaknesses in information handling processes.