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Mallory
MediumCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Apple Security Framework Signature Validation Bypass

IdentifiersCVE-2023-41991CWE-295· Improper Certificate Validation

CVE-2023-41991 is a vulnerability in Apple's Security framework caused by a certificate validation issue. According to Apple, a malicious application may be able to bypass signature validation. The issue affects Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, and was fixed in releases including macOS Ventura 13.6, iOS 16.7, and iPadOS 16.7, with corresponding fixes also shipped for watchOS. Apple stated it is aware of reports that the vulnerability may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS prior to iOS 16.7. Publicly available information does not identify the exact vulnerable function or code path beyond the Security framework certificate validation logic.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows a malicious app to circumvent signature validation checks. This can undermine platform trust decisions that rely on certificate or signature verification and may enable execution or acceptance of content, code, or artifacts that should not be trusted. The issue has been described as chainable with other Apple vulnerabilities, and reporting indicates it may have been used in targeted in-the-wild exploitation against pre-16.7 iOS devices.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by limiting installation and execution of untrusted or unnecessary applications, enforcing mobile device management controls that restrict app deployment, and prioritizing updates for high-risk users who may be targeted in spyware campaigns. These are only temporary risk-reduction measures; vendor patching is the primary mitigation.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply Apple's security updates that address CVE-2023-41991. The provided content states the issue was fixed in macOS Ventura 13.6, iOS 16.7, and iPadOS 16.7; related Apple advisories also indicate fixes were released for affected watchOS versions. Upgrade affected devices to the latest vendor-supported patched release for the relevant platform.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

2 valid exploits after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.

VALID 2 / 2 TOTALView more in app
CVE-2023-41991MaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a sophisticated exploit tool targeting Apple's CoreTrust code signature verification on iOS and macOS. The main entry point is `src/main.m`, which orchestrates the process of extracting the preferred Mach-O slice from a (potentially FAT) binary, performing ad-hoc signing, and then applying a CoreTrust bypass. The bypass is implemented in `src/coretrust_bug.c`, which manipulates the code signature superblob of the Mach-O binary by injecting a template App Store code directory, updating hashes, and generating a new signature using a bundled private key. The exploit ensures the Team ID matches between code directories and removes problematic flags to maximize compatibility. The tool is intended to be run locally on a binary file, and does not interact with network endpoints. The codebase is modular, with reusable components for Mach-O and code signature manipulation, and includes a number of template blobs and cryptographic routines. The exploit is operational and can be used to allow unsigned or self-signed binaries to run on iOS devices by bypassing CoreTrust signature checks.

itsgidddDisclosed Nov 28, 2023cobjective-clocal
appsignMaturityPoCVerified exploit

This repository contains a tool for bypassing Apple's CoreTrust code signature enforcement on iOS. The main entry point is 'src/main.m', which processes either a single Mach-O binary or recursively processes all binaries in an app bundle. The tool works by first performing ad-hoc signing of the target binary, then extracting the appropriate architecture slice, and finally applying a CoreTrust bypass by modifying the code signature blobs. The bypass leverages embedded CA certificates and private keys (see 'src/templates/CADetails.h') and signature templates (see 'src/templates/TemplateSignatureBlob.h', 'src/templates/DERTemplate.h'). The code interacts with low-level Mach-O structures and Apple's security frameworks, and uses the third-party 'ChOma' library for Mach-O manipulation. The exploit is operational and can be used to re-sign iOS binaries to run with forged signatures, which is useful for running unauthorized code on iOS devices, especially in a jailbroken or app repackaging context. The attack vector is local, requiring access to the target binary or bundle. The only notable fingerprintable endpoint is the use of '/tmp/XXXXXX' as a temporary file for Mach-O slice extraction.

dmytrozykovDisclosed Mar 18, 2025cobjective-clocal
EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AppleIpadosoperating_system
AppleIphone Osoperating_system
AppleMacosoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.
Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures2

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity2

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.