CVE-2023-28207
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. A plug-in may be able to inherit app permissions and access user 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 confidenceA vulnerability in macOS plug-in architecture allowed plugins to inherit the parent application's permissions, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive user data. The issue was addressed with improved permission validation checks in the affected macOS versions.
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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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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Check installed macOS versionGo to Apple menu > About This Mac or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if Version is less than 11.7.5, OR between 12.0 and 12.6.3, OR between 13.0 and 13.2.x
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Identify plugin or extension usageCheck Applications folder for apps with plug-ins (check ~/Library/Application Support, app bundles for PlugIns folders) or review system extensions via System Settings > Privacy & Security > ExtensionsAffected if Any third-party or system plugins/extensions are installed on an affected macOS version
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Verify permission validation statusReview system logs in Console app for plugin permission validation events, or check if apps with plugins function without triggering permission prompts after the macOS version checkAffected if Plugins appear to inherit parent app permissions without explicit user authorization prompts on affected versions
User is affected if running a macOS version in the vulnerable ranges (pre-11.7.5, 12.0-12.6.3, or 13.0-13.2) and has plugins/extensions installed that could exploit the permission inheritance 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 · scoped11.7.512.6.413.3
Upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.3, Monterey 12.6.4, Big Sur 11.7.5 or later to apply the improved permission checks.
Upgrade to macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 or later, macOS Monterey 12.6.4 or later, or macOS Ventura 13.3 or later (depending on your current macOS version)
- Open System Preferences (macOS 12 and earlier) or System Settings (macOS 13 and later)
- Click on 'Software Update'
- Allow the system to check for updates
- If an update is available, click 'Update Now' or 'Upgrade Now'
- Enter administrator credentials when prompted
- Allow the update to download and install completely, do not interrupt the process
- Restart the Mac when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 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 $2,032.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-28207 — 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-2023-28207 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