CVE-2023-23538
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 · uneditedA logic issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.4. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.
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 flaw in macOS allowed malicious or compromised applications to bypass file system protection checks and modify protected areas of the file system that should normally be restricted to system-level processes.
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< 12.6.4>= 13.0, < 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed macOS versionRun `sw_vers -productVersion` in Terminal to retrieve the exact version number (e.g., 13.2, 12.6.3)Affected if The version displayed is less than 12.6.4 or falls between 13.0 and 13.2.2 inclusive
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Identify the macOS release nameRun `sw_vers -productVersion` and note whether the major version is 12 (Monterey) or 13 (Ventura)Affected if The major version is 12 with a build prior to 12.6.4, or major version 13 with a build prior to 13.3
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Verify System Integrity Protection statusRun `csrutil status` in Recovery mode or check via Terminal with appropriate privilegesAffected if N/A - SIP status check provides context only; the vulnerability exploits a logic flaw that bypasses SIP regardless of its enabled status
The system is affected if running macOS Monterey versions below 12.6.4, or macOS Ventura versions 13.0 through 13.2.
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 · scoped12.6.413.3
Apply macOS updates: upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.3 or later, or macOS Monterey 12.6.4 or later.
macOS Monterey 12.6.4 or macOS Ventura 13.3 (depending on currently installed version)
- Check the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac
- If running macOS Monterey (12.x), upgrade to macOS Monterey 12.6.4 or later via System Preferences > Software Update
- If running macOS Ventura (13.0 to 13.2), upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.3 or later via System Preferences > Software Update
- Restart the device after the update completes to ensure all security fixes are applied
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 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-2023-23538 — 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-2023-23538 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