Apple WebKit Remote Code Execution (RCE) Vulnerability Urgent Security Advisory (CVE-2023-37450, CISA KEV Listed)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTApple iOS before 16.6, iPadOS before 16.6, macOS Ventura before 13.5, Safari before 16.5.2, tvOS before 16.6, and watchOS before 9.6
Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution (RCE) within the sandbox context, and this vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild
Immediately apply the official software updates provided by Apple to patch the operating systems and Safari browser
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Apply the latest system updates via the native Software Update mechanism. For macOS environments, administrators can force system updates via the terminal:
# List available software updates
softwareupdate -l
# Download and install all critical updates immediately
sudo softwareupdate -i -a --restart2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If immediate patching is not feasible, enable 'Lockdown Mode' on high-risk Apple devices to significantly reduce the attack surface by disabling complex WebKit features such as JIT compilation:
# For enterprise MDM environments, deploy a configuration profile to:
# 1. Force-enable Lockdown Mode on targeted devices
# 2. Restrict Safari from executing untrusted JavaScript JIT compilation3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Run the following shell script on macOS endpoints to audit the current Safari and OS versions to identify vulnerable assets:
# Retrieve current Safari version
safari_ver=$(defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info.plist BundleShortVersionString)
echo 'Installed Safari Version:' $safari_ver
# Retrieve current macOS version
macos_ver=$(sw_vers -productVersion)
echo 'Installed macOS Version:' $macos_ver
# Check if the installed Safari version is vulnerable (less than 16.5.2)
if [ '$(printf "%s\
" "16.5.2" "$safari_ver" | sort -V | head -n1)' != "16.5.2" ]; then
echo '[ALERT] Vulnerable Safari version detected. Update required.'
else
echo '[INFO] Safari version is secure.'
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Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2023-37450) is a critical remote code execution (RCE) flaw residing in Apple's WebKit rendering engine. It is triggered during the processing and rendering of web content, where insufficient validation leads to memory corruption or type confusion states. Apple addressed this issue by implementing improved state and bounds checks within the WebKit engine.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker exploits this vulnerability by hosting a specially crafted web page containing malicious JavaScript or HTML. When a target user visits the malicious site via Safari or any application utilizing the WebKit framework, the engine misinterprets the crafted data, leading to memory corruption. This allows the attacker to bypass security boundaries and execute arbitrary shellcode within the context of the browser process.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
As a zero-day vulnerability listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, this flaw poses an immediate threat to enterprise environments. Successful exploitation on corporate-owned or BYOD Apple devices can lead to credential theft, unauthorized access to internal networks, session hijacking, and subsequent lateral movement within the corporate infrastructure.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, Safari 16.5.2, tvOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, watchOS 9.6. Processing web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2023-37450)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2023-37450 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2023-37450 is rated CVSS 8.8 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 18.9%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2023-37450?
Primary impacted vendors include apple across safari, ios, ipados, macos, tvos, watchos. Scope summary: All versions prior to iOS 16.6, iPadOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, Safari 16.5.2, tvOS 16.6, and watchOS 9.6
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2023-37450 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately apply the official software updates provided by Apple to patch the operating systems and Safari browser Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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