CVE-2023-23526
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 · uneditedThis was addressed with additional checks by Gatekeeper on files downloaded from an iCloud shared-by-me folder. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3, iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4. A file from an iCloud shared-by-me folder may be able to bypass Gatekeeper.
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 confidenceA vulnerability in Gatekeeper allowed files downloaded from iCloud shared-by-me folders to bypass security checks, potentially enabling malicious code execution without user warning. The issue stemmed from insufficient validation of files originating from iCloud sharing mechanisms.
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< 16.4< 16.4< 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:3.1/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 macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or System Settings > General > AboutAffected if Version is below 13.3
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Check iOS versionGo to Settings > General > About on iPhoneAffected if Version is below 16.4
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Check iPadOS versionGo to Settings > General > About on iPadAffected if Version is below 16.4
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Determine iCloud shared-by-me usageConsider whether you or your users receive files via iCloud sharing (Shared by Me in iCloud Drive)Affected if Running an affected OS version AND receiving files from iCloud shared-by-me folders
You are affected if running macOS below 13.3, iOS below 16.4, or iPadOS below 16.4 AND you interact with files from iCloud shared-by-me folders.
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 · scoped13.316.4
Update to macOS Ventura 13.3, iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4 or later to receive the patched Gatekeeper checks for iCloud shared-by-me files.
macOS Ventura 13.3, iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4 or later
- Identify the affected device type (iPadOS, iOS/iPhone, or macOS)
- For iPadOS: Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and upgrade to iPadOS 16.4 or later
- For iOS/iPhone: Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and upgrade to iOS 16.4 or later
- For macOS: Open System Settings > General > Software Update and upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.3 or later
- After upgrade, verify Gatekeeper protection is active by running: sudo spctl --master-enable
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 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 $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-23526 — 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-2023-23526 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