CVE-2013-0973
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedSoftware Update in Apple Mac OS X through 10.7.5 does not prevent plugin loading within the marketing-text WebView, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to execute plugin code by modifying the client-server data stream.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Software Update component in Apple Mac OS X through version 10.7.5 contains a vulnerability where the WebView used to display marketing text does not prevent plugin loading. A man-in-the-middle attacker on the network path between the client and Software Update server could modify the data stream to inject and execute arbitrary plugin code on the affected system.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 10.6.8= 10.7.0= 10.7.1= 10.7.2= 10.7.3= 10.7.4= 10.7.5= 10.6.8= 10.7.0= 10.7.1= 10.7.2= 10.7.3= 10.7.4= 10.7.5CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed Mac OS X versionRun 'sw_vers' or click Apple menu > About This Mac to see the OS version numberAffected if The version displayed is 10.6.8, 10.7.0, 10.7.1, 10.7.2, 10.7.3, 10.7.4, or 10.7.5 (or corresponding Server version)
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Confirm Software Update is configuredOpen System Preferences > Software Update, or run 'softwareupdate -l' to list available updatesAffected if Software Update is enabled and the system is set to check for updates (the vulnerable WebView component is in use)
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Verify network path to Apple update serversCheck if the system has network access to Apple's Software Update servers (swdist.apple.com and related domains). Use 'nslookup swdist.apple.com' or check network proxy configuration.Affected if The system can reach Software Update servers over the network - this is required for the man-in-the-middle attack vector to apply
You are affected if your Mac OS X version is 10.6.8 through 10.7.5 (or Server equivalent) and Software Update is enabled with network access to Apple's update servers.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply Apple's official security updates to upgrade Mac OS X beyond version 10.7.5, or migrate to a supported OS version as this older release is no longer maintained.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-0973 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-0973 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data