How severe is CVE-2023-41990?

CVE-2023-41990 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-41990?

Affected package information for CVE-2023-41990 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2023-41990?

No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2023-41990 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2023-41990 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-2023-41990 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Is CVE-2023-41990 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 3 known exploit references for CVE-2023-41990, including 3 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-2023-41990?

CVE-2023-41990 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 1.4%, placing it in the 72th 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-2023-41990 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2023-41990 (Apple Multiple Products Code Execution Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2024-01-08. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2024-01-29. The required action was: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

When was CVE-2023-41990 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2023-41990 was published on September 11, 2023 and was last updated on October 21, 2025. 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-2023-41990

HIGH

CVE-2023-41990 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) remote code execution vulnerability. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2024-01-08) — treat it as actively exploited and patch now. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.

The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is fixed in tvOS 16.3, iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS…

Published

Sep 11, 2023

Updated

Oct 21, 2025

Affected

5 products

Patched

See advisory

Exploits

3 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 23, 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 2024-01-08. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2024-01-29.
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-2023-41990.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

1.4%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs72th percentile — riskier than 72% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

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

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2023-41990 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.

Where this sits among everything scored

Of 394,803 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Description

The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is fixed in tvOS 16.3, iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, macOS Ventura 13.2, watchOS 9.3. Processing a font file may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1.

Affected Products

5 products · 9 configurations

ipadosapple

≥ 16.0 && < 16.3

range

iphone osapple

≥ 16.0 && < 16.3

range

macosapple

≥ 13.0 && < 13.2

range

tvosapple

< 16.3

range

watchosapple

< 9.3

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.

The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is …

nvd.nist.govNVDSep 2023

The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is …

support.apple.comGoogle-sheetJul 2023

The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is …

cisa.govCISAJan 2024

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability

Detect
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`).
Remediation status
No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2023-41990 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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CVE-2023-41990

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

EPSS Exploitation Probability

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Description

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Remediation status

Mitigate without a patch

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2023-41990 in your dependencies?