CVE-2023-28212
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 buffer overflow issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or write kernel memory.
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 buffer overflow vulnerability in macOS allows a local application to potentially escalate privileges by writing to kernel memory or cause a system crash. The issue stems from improper memory handling during certain operations, enabling an attacker with code execution in user space to manipulate kernel memory.
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>= 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
- 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 installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or System Settings > About to view the macOS Ventura version numberAffected if Version starts with 13.0, 13.1, or 13.2 (any 13.x version before 13.3)
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Confirm version is within affected rangeCompare the displayed version against the vulnerable range: 13.0 <= version < 13.3Affected if The installed version is 13.0, 13.1, 13.2.x, or any 13.x version prior to 13.3
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Identify if local code execution is possibleReview installed applications and user privileges - the vulnerability requires an attacker to first execute code in user spaceAffected if Any untrusted local user or application can run code on the system
If macOS Ventura version is 13.0, 13.1, or any 13.2.x release, the environment is affected by this kernel buffer overflow vulnerability.
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 · scoped13.3
Apply macOS Ventura 13.3 or later security update. For development teams, audit code for similar unsafe memory handling patterns, particularly in code that interfaces with kernel APIs or handles buffer operations.
macOS Ventura 13.3
- Back up important data on the Mac before proceeding with the update
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Navigate to General > Software Update
- Wait for macOS to check for available updates
- If macOS Ventura 13.3 appears as available, click 'Update Now' or 'Upgrade Now' to download and install the update
- Follow any on-screen prompts and allow the update to complete - the Mac may restart multiple times
- After installation completes, verify the system is running macOS 13.3 by checking System Settings > General > About
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-2023-28212 — 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-2023-28212 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
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