CVE-2023-23542
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 privacy issue was addressed with improved private data redaction for log entries. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.
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 confidenceThis is a privacy vulnerability in macOS where log entries were not properly redacting sensitive user data, allowing a malicious application to potentially access user-sensitive information through system logs.
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< 11.7.5>= 12.0, < 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
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed macOS versionGo to Apple menu > About This Mac or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if The version shown is earlier than 11.7.5, between 12.0-12.6.3, or between 13.0-13.2 (Ventura)
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Verify system log entries for sensitive data exposureExamine recent system log entries (using Console app or log show command) for any instances where user credentials, passwords, or personal data appear in plaintextAffected if Unredacted sensitive information is visible in logs that should have been masked
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Check if security update is appliedLook at System Settings > General > Software Update to see if the system shows no updates available, or run 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' to check the security patch levelAffected if The installed security update is older than the March 2023 updates (13.3, 12.6.4, or 11.7.5) or no security update has been installed
A user is affected if they are running a macOS version in the vulnerable range (pre-11.7.5, 12.0-12.6.3, or 13.0-13.2) and have not applied the March 2023 security update that addresses the log redaction issue.
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 · scoped11.7.512.6.413.3
Apply the relevant macOS security update (Ventura 13.3, Monterey 12.6.4, or Big Sur 11.7.5) to patch the log redaction issue.
macOS Big Sur 11.7.5, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, or macOS Ventura 13.3 depending on your current major version
- 1. Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution before updating
- 2. Go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- 3. Click on General, then Software Update
- 4. Wait for macOS to check for updates
- 5. If an update is available, click Download and Install
- 6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation
- 7. After installation, verify the macOS version by going to About This Mac (Apple menu > About This Mac)
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-2023-23542 — 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-2023-23542 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data