CVE-2023-27529
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 · uneditedWacom Tablet Driver installer prior to 6.4.2-1 (for macOS) contains an improper link resolution before file access vulnerability. When a user is tricked to execute a small malicious script before executing the affected version of the installer, arbitrary code may be executed with the root privilege.
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 Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) vulnerability in the Wacom Tablet Driver installer for macOS. The installer performs file access checks before operating on files, but fails to prevent symlink manipulation between those checks and operations. An attacker tricks a user into running a malicious script that creates/manipulates symlinks prior to installer execution, causing the installer (running with root privileges) to write files to arbitrary locations and achieve arbitrary code execution.
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< 6.4.2-1CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 Wacom Tablet Driver versionOpen System Preferences or System Settings, locate Wacom Tablet settings, or check the installer package info. On macOS, you can also check the driver file info at /Library/Extensions/WacomTabletDriver.kext or via 'kextstat | grep Wacom' in TerminalAffected if The installed version is shown as anything earlier than 6.4.2-1 (for example, 6.4.1-x, 6.3.x, or any version number below 6.4.2-1)
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Verify installer version usedIf you have the original installer dmg or pkg file, right-click and select Get Info to view the version, or check the Wacom website download page for the version number of the installer you usedAffected if The installer version is earlier than 6.4.2-1
You are affected if the installed Wacom Tablet Driver or its installer on macOS is any version lower than 6.4.2-1, as this is the version that patched the TOCTOU symlink manipulation flaw.
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 · scoped6.4.2-1
Upgrade Wacom Tablet Driver for macOS to version 6.4.2-1 or later. Users should be warned to avoid running untrusted scripts before executing software installers.
Wacom Tablet Driver Installer 6.4.2-1 or later for macOS
- Download Wacom Tablet Driver Installer version 6.4.2-1 or later from the official Wacom website (www.wacom.com)
- Verify the downloaded installer integrity if checksums are provided
- Uninstall any currently installed vulnerable version of the Wacom Tablet Driver
- Run the updated installer (6.4.2-1 or later) to install the fixed version
- Restart your Mac if prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-27529 — 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-2023-27529 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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