CVE-2023-38606: 
macOS vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2023-38606 is a kernel vulnerability discovered in Apple's operating systems that allows an app to modify sensitive kernel state. The vulnerability was disclosed on July 24, 2023, affecting multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Apple confirmed that this vulnerability was actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1 (Apple Advisory, HelpNet Security).

The vulnerability was identified as a kernel state management issue that could allow malicious applications to modify sensitive kernel state. The vulnerability was discovered by researchers from Kaspersky - Valentin Pashkov, Mikhail Vinogradov, Georgy Kucherin, Leonid Bezvershenko, and Boris Larin. It involves exploitation of undocumented hardware features in Apple's SoCs (A12-A16 Bionic) and uses unknown MMIO blocks of registers for bypassing hardware-based kernel memory protection (Securelist).

The vulnerability allows a malicious application to modify sensitive kernel state, potentially leading to complete device compromise. The severity is rated as MEDIUM with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N) (NVD).

Apple addressed this vulnerability with improved state management in the following updates: iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Ventura 13.5, and watchOS 9.6. Users are strongly advised to update their devices to these versions (Apple Advisory).