CVE-2018-4254
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 10.13.5, an input validation issue existed in the kernel. This issue was addressed with improved input 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 kernel-level input validation vulnerability existed in macOS High Sierra prior to version 10.13.5. The flaw allowed potentially malicious input to reach kernel components without proper validation, which could lead to arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges. The vulnerability was addressed through improved input validation mechanisms in the kernel.
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< 10.13.5CVSS 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
- 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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Check installed macOS versionClick the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select 'About This Mac', and note the version number displayed under the macOS nameAffected if The displayed version number is lower than 10.13.5 (for example, 10.13.4, 10.13.3, etc.)
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Verify exact build version via TerminalOpen Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersionAffected if The output shows a version lower than 10.13.5 (e.g., 10.13.4, 10.13.3, 10.13.2, etc.)
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Confirm High Sierra lineageIn 'About This Mac', verify the OS name displays 'macOS High Sierra' or run: uname -rAffected if The system runs any version of macOS High Sierra below 10.13.5
A system is affected if it runs any version of macOS High Sierra prior to 10.13.5, as the kernel-level input validation flaw exists in those earlier 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 · scoped10.13.5
Apply macOS High Sierra security update 10.13.5 or later, which contains the corrected input validation. Organizations should prioritize patching systems exposed to network attack vectors given the CVSS 9.8 rating.
macOS 10.13.5 or later (recommended: latest available macOS release)
- Back up important data on the Mac before proceeding with the upgrade
- Open the Mac App Store on the macOS device
- Search for "macOS High Sierra" or click on the "Updates" tab
- Download and install macOS 10.13.5 or later (or the latest available macOS version)
- Restart the Mac when prompted to complete the installation
- After reboot, verify the installed version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting "About This Mac" to confirm the system is running 10.13.5 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-4254 — 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-2018-4254 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
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