dbcve.org
Mac Os XOperating system · Apple

CVE-2018-4171

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-06-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.13.5 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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 · unedited
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.5 is affected. The issue involves the "Bluetooth" component. It allows attackers to obtain sensitive kernel memory-layout information via a crafted app that leverages device properties.

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 confidence

A vulnerability in the macOS Bluetooth component allows a locally-running crafted application to access sensitive kernel memory-layout information by leveraging device properties. This information disclosure could aid attackers in bypassing kernel ASLR protections as part of a larger exploit chain.

MitigationUpgrade macOS to version 10.13.5 or later to patch the Bluetooth component vulnerability.

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
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:< 10.13.5

CVSS 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed macOS version
    Click Apple menu > About This Mac. The version number is displayed below the macOS name (e.g., 10.13.4, 10.13.3, etc.) Alternatively, run 'sw_vers' in Terminal.
    Affected if macOS version is lower than 10.13.5 (e.g., 10.13.4, 10.13.3, 10.13.2, etc.)
  2. Verify Bluetooth hardware presence
    Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth, or run 'system_profiler SPBluetoothDataType' in Terminal.
    Affected if Bluetooth hardware is detected on the system
  3. Confirm Bluetooth is accessible to local applications
    Check if /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist exists, or verify Bluetooth is not fully disabled system-wide via System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Bluetooth monitoring access.
    Affected if Local applications can access Bluetooth APIs (standard condition for most macOS installations)

You are affected if running macOS versions earlier than 10.13.5 and Bluetooth hardware is present on the Mac.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 10.13.5 or later
Fixed in 10.13.5
Interim mitigation

Upgrade macOS to version 10.13.5 or later to patch the Bluetooth component vulnerability.

Fix this in Mac Os X Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-4171 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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