CVE-2023-28214
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 kernel allows a local application to potentially cause system termination (DoS) or write to arbitrary kernel memory, leading to privilege escalation. The issue was addressed in macOS Ventura 13.3 with improved memory handling bounds checks.
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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Identify installed macOS versionRun `sw_vers -productVersion` in Terminal to retrieve the exact macOS version numberAffected if Version displays as 13.0, 13.1, 13.2, or any 13.2.x release (e.g., 13.2.1)
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Confirm version is within affected rangeCompare the version from step 1 against the vulnerable range: 13.0 <= version < 13.3Affected if The version falls between 13.0 and 13.2.x inclusive, meaning the kernel still contains the unpatched vulnerability
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Verify patch status via system_profilerRun `system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType` and look for the macOS version and build number in the outputAffected if Build number corresponds to an unpatched Ventura release prior to the 13.3 security update
If the system runs macOS Ventura 13.0 through 13.2.x, it is vulnerable to this kernel buffer overflow and requires the 13.3 or later security update.
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. This is a kernel-level vulnerability that requires operating system patching; organizations should ensure endpoint detection and vulnerability management tools are scanning for this patch.
macOS Ventura 13.3
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method before proceeding with the OS upgrade.
- Verify your current macOS version by going to Apple menu > About This Mac.
- Open the App Store application and search for "macOS Ventura 13.3" or go to https://support.apple.com/downloads/macos
- Download and install macOS Ventura 13.3 update.
- Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation.
- After restart, verify the update was successful by checking Apple menu > About This Mac shows version 13.3.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 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-2023-28214 — 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-2023-28214 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
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