CVE-2023-42890 in watchOS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2023
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in Safari 17.2, macOS Sonoma 14.2, watchOS 10.2, iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2, tvOS 17.2. Processing web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical memory handling flaw that could enable remote code execution through web content processing within Apple's ecosystem. The issue was specifically addressed in Apple's security updates for Safari 17.2 and various operating system versions including macOS Sonoma 14.2, watchOS 10.2, iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, and tvOS 17.2. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues that can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The flaw demonstrates the inherent risks associated with complex web rendering engines and their interaction with memory management systems, particularly when processing untrusted content from web applications. Such vulnerabilities represent a significant threat to user security as they can be leveraged to compromise entire systems through seemingly benign web browsing activities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling during web content processing, which creates potential attack vectors for malicious actors. This type of flaw typically occurs when applications fail to properly validate or sanitize memory operations during content rendering, allowing attackers to manipulate memory structures through crafted web content. The vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, or CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. These memory-related issues often provide attackers with the foundation for more sophisticated exploitation techniques including buffer overflow attacks, heap corruption, or use-after-free vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to gain elevated privileges or execute malicious code directly on target systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across Apple's entire ecosystem, affecting users of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS devices through their web browsers and web-based applications. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability by delivering malicious web content through compromised websites, email attachments, or other delivery mechanisms that would trigger the vulnerable memory handling code path. The implications are particularly severe given that web browsers serve as primary attack surfaces for most users, making this vulnerability highly relevant to enterprise security and individual user protection. The exploitability of such memory corruption vulnerabilities often depends on the specific memory layout of the target system and the presence of additional mitigations like address space layout randomization or control flow integrity. Organizations and users must consider the risk of targeted attacks exploiting this vulnerability, particularly in environments where users regularly access untrusted web content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability center on immediate deployment of Apple's security updates across all affected devices and operating systems. Users should prioritize updating to the latest versions of their respective operating systems and web browsers to ensure protection against exploitation attempts. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to maintain updated security states across enterprise environments, particularly focusing on mobile device management solutions that can enforce automatic updates. Additional defensive measures include implementing web filtering solutions, enabling sandboxing technologies, and monitoring for suspicious web content access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify potential exploitation vectors, while adhering to security frameworks such as those outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK matrix for threat modeling and defense-in-depth strategies. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts targeting known memory corruption vulnerabilities.