How severe is CVE-2023-28205?

CVE-2023-28205 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-28205?

Affected package information for CVE-2023-28205 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2023-28205?

No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2023-28205 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2023-28205 in my code and dependencies?

Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

How do I mitigate CVE-2023-28205 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Constrain what reaches the vulnerable code: limit the size and shape of untrusted input, isolate the affected component in a sandboxed or least-privileged process, and enable the platform's memory-safety mitigations (ASLR, stack protector, hardened allocator) so an out-of-bounds access is more likely to fail closed than to be exploitable.

Is CVE-2023-28205 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 7 known exploit references for CVE-2023-28205, including 5 in-the-wild exploitations 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-2023-28205?

CVE-2023-28205 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 27.1%, placing it in the 98th 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 warrants monitoring and prompt remediation.

Is CVE-2023-28205 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2023-28205 (Apple Multiple Products WebKit Use-After-Free Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2023-04-10. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2023-05-01. 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.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2023-28205?

CVE-2023-28205 is classified as Use After Free (CWE-416). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2023-28205 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2023-28205 was published on April 10, 2023 and was last updated on April 16, 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 · ACTIVELY EXPLOITED

HIGH severity

CVE-2023-28205

HIGH

CVE-2023-28205 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) Use After Free vulnerability. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-04-10) — treat it as actively exploited and patch now. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.

Published

Apr 10, 2023

Updated

Apr 16, 2026

Affected

4 products

Patched

See advisory

Exploits

7 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 26, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

Confirmed by CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-04-10. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2023-05-01.
A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA (KEV catalog and SSVC triage) for CVE-2023-28205.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

27.1%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Moderate Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs98th percentile — riskier than 98% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2023-28205 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.

Where this sits among everything scored

Of 396,257 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 10–50% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Description

A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in Safari 16.4.1, iOS 15.7.5 and iPadOS 15.7.5, iOS 16.4.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1, macOS Ventura 13.3.1. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

Affected Products

4 products · 6 configurations

ipadosapple

≥ 16.0 && < 16.4.1

range

iphone osapple

≥ 16.0 && < 16.4.1

range

macosapple

< 13.3.1

range

Application

safariapple

< 16.4.1

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.