Local root privilege escalation
Published May 8, 2023 · Updated Jan 29, 2025
Privilege escalation in Apple LaunchServices before iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS 13.3 allows local users to gain root via an app. Apple identifies insufficient LaunchServices checks but has not disclosed the checked operation or app-controlled input that reaches it. macOS Big Sur before 11.7.5 is also affected; exploitation requires execution of an attacker-controlled app and grants root-level device control.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Apple LaunchServices before iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS 13.3 allows local users to gain root via an app. Apple identifies insufficient LaunchServices checks but has not disclosed the checked operation or app-controlled input that reaches it. macOS Big Sur before 11.7.5 is also affected; exploitation requires execution of an attacker-controlled app and grants root-level device control.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-23525
- Published
- May 8, 2023
- Updated
- Jan 29, 2025
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- iOS and iPadOS
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 8, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 29, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <16.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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