CVE-2017-13889
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 · uneditedIn macOS High Sierra before 10.13.3, Security Update 2018-001 Sierra, and Security Update 2018-001 El Capitan, a logic error existed in the validation of credentials. This was addressed with improved credential validation.
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 · moderate confidenceA logic error in macOS credential validation allowed authentication bypass or privilege escalation. The flaw existed in the validation of credentials across macOS High Sierra, Sierra, and El Capitan. The vulnerability was addressed through improved credential validation logic.
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>= 10.13.0, < 10.13.3CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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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Identify your macOS High Sierra versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or check System Preferences > AboutAffected if The version returned is 10.13.0, 10.13.1, or 10.13.2 (any build between 10.13.0 and 10.13.2 inclusive)
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Confirm the specific build number (optional)Run 'sw_vers -buildVersion' to see the exact build if needed for granular confirmationAffected if The build corresponds to an unpatched 10.13.x release prior to the 10.13.3 security update
You are affected if your macOS High Sierra system is version 10.13.0, 10.13.1, or 10.13.2; users on Sierra or El Capitan should also verify their versions against Apple's security updates for those releases.
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.
dbcve · scoped10.13.3
Apply the appropriate security update: macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 or later, Security Update 2018-001 for Sierra, or Security Update 2018-001 for El Capitan.
macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 or later; Security Update 2018-001 for Sierra and El Capitan
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution before applying system updates
- For macOS High Sierra (10.13.x) users: Upgrade to macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 or later via the App Store or Software Update
- For macOS Sierra (10.12.x) users: Apply Security Update 2018-001 through System Preferences > Software Update
- For OS X El Capitan (10.11.x) users: Apply Security Update 2018-001 through System Preferences > Software Update
- After updating, verify the installation by checking System Preferences > Security & Privacy to confirm your system is up to date
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 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 $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-13889 — 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-2017-13889 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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