CVE-2023-27964

Headphone access via Bluetooth source spoofing

Published Jun 23, 2023 · Updated Dec 5, 2024

Authentication bypass in Apple AirPods firmware before 5E133 allows physically proximate attackers to gain headphone access via Bluetooth spoofing. Bluetooth connection state management fails to authenticate the source of a reconnection request, allowing a spoofed device to impersonate a previously paired source; Apple has not disclosed the exact validation error. Exploitation requires Bluetooth range while the headphones are seeking a previously paired device, and the reported consequence is headphone access.

CVSS severity5.4
Medium
EPSS probability8.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in Apple AirPods firmware before 5E133 allows physically proximate attackers to gain headphone access via Bluetooth spoofing. Bluetooth connection state management fails to authenticate the source of a reconnection request, allowing a spoofed device to impersonate a previously paired source; Apple has not disclosed the exact validation error. Exploitation requires Bluetooth range while the headphones are seeking a previously paired device, and the reported consequence is headphone access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-27964
Published
Jun 23, 2023
Updated
Dec 5, 2024
Vendor
Apple
Product
AirPods
Classifications
CWE-290
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 23, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 5, 2024Record 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · AirPodsversion=unspecified <5

Published CVSS scores

5.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-290Authentication Bypass by Spoofing

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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