How severe is CVE-2019-6223?

CVE-2019-6223 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which products are affected by CVE-2019-6223?

Affected package information for CVE-2019-6223 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I patch CVE-2019-6223?

Apply the apple iphone os security patch or hotfix for CVE-2019-6223 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.

How do I detect CVE-2019-6223 across my infrastructure?

Inventory every apple iphone os deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.

How do I mitigate CVE-2019-6223 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2019-6223?

O3 detects and blocks CVE-2019-6223 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Is CVE-2019-6223 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 1 known exploit references for CVE-2019-6223, including 1 in-the-wild exploitation observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2019-6223?

CVE-2019-6223 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 2.6%, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

Is CVE-2019-6223 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2019-6223 (Apple iOS and macOS Group Facetime Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2021-11-03. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2022-05-03. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2019-6223?

CVE-2019-6223 affects apple iphone os; apple mac os x. Check the affected-products list on this page against your deployed version to confirm exposure.

When was CVE-2019-6223 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2019-6223 was published on March 5, 2019 and was last updated on June 17, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV·Added 2021-11-03 — agencies required to remediate by 2022-05-03

CVE-2019-6223

HIGH

A logic issue existed in the handling of Group FaceTime calls. The issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.1.4, macOS Mojave 10.14.3 Supplemental…

Published

Mar 5, 2019

Updated

Jun 17, 2026

Affected

0 pkgs

Patched

None yet

Exploits

1 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

2.6%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk84th percentile0.00%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Description

A logic issue existed in the handling of Group FaceTime calls. The issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.1.4, macOS Mojave 10.14.3 Supplemental Update. The initiator of a Group FaceTime call may be able to cause the recipient to answer.

Affected Products

2 products · 2 configurations

iphone osapple

< 12.1.4

range

mac os xapple

< 10.14.3

range

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

A logic issue existed in the handling of Group FaceTime calls. The issue…

cisa.govCISAJul 2021

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vendor / appliance

Detect
Inventory every apple iphone os deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.
Fix
Apply the apple iphone os security patch or hotfix for CVE-2019-6223 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.
Workarounds
Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.
How O3 protects you
O3 detects and blocks CVE-2019-6223 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Tailored to CVE-2019-6223. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Runtime Protection

Is CVE-2019-6223 being exploited in your environment?

O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2019-6223 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.

Protect my workloads How runtime protection works