CVE-2023-27951
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 · uneditedThe issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3, macOS Monterey 12.6.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5. An archive 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 macOS allows specially crafted archive files to bypass Gatekeeper security checks, potentially enabling untrusted code to execute on affected systems. The issue was addressed with improved validation checks in the archive handling subsystem.
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
- 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.
-
Check installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or view the version in System Settings > AboutAffected if The version is earlier than 11.7.5, or between 12.0 and 12.6.3, or between 13.0 and 13.2 (these are the vulnerable ranges)
-
Verify Gatekeeper is enabledRun 'spctl --status' in Terminal. Output should show 'enabled'Affected if Gatekeeper is enabled (default setting) and the macOS version is in the vulnerable range, as the bypass only affects systems with Gatekeeper active
-
Confirm archive handling behavior (optional)Extract a test archive using Archive Utility or the 'unzip' command. The vulnerability is triggered when opening specially crafted archivesAffected if Running a vulnerable macOS version with Gatekeeper enabled means specially crafted archive files could bypass security checks
A system is affected if it runs macOS Big Sur earlier than 11.7.5, Monterey 12.0-12.6.3, or Ventura 13.0-13.2, with Gatekeeper enabled (the default).
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 appropriate macOS security update: Ventura 13.3, Monterey 12.6.4, Big Sur 11.7.5 or later versions to remediate this Gatekeeper bypass vulnerability.
Upgrade to macOS Big Sur 11.7.5, Monterey 12.6.4, or Ventura 13.3 depending on your current major version line
- Check the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac
- Determine which macOS major version line you are on (Big Sur 11.x, Monterey 12.x, or Ventura 13.x)
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup solution
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Navigate to General > Software Update (or click Software Update in System Preferences)
- Click Check for Update or allow automatic update check
- If an update is available, click Download and Install or Install Now
- Follow the on-screen prompts and allow the Mac to restart during installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $1,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-27951 — 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-2023-27951 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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