CVE-2023-32442
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 · uneditedAn access issue was addressed with improved access restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.5, macOS Monterey 12.6.8. A shortcut may be able to modify sensitive Shortcuts app settings.
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 confidenceAn access control vulnerability in macOS Shortcuts app allowed shortcuts to bypass authorization checks and modify sensitive application settings that should have been restricted. The issue stemmed from insufficient validation of user permissions before allowing configuration changes to the Shortcuts app.
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>= 12.0.0, < 12.6.8>= 13.0, < 13.5CVSS 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.
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Check installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers' in Terminal or go to Apple menu > About This Mac to view the exact version numberAffected if The version is 12.0.0 through 12.6.7 (Monterey) or 13.0 through 13.4 (Ventura)
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Inspect Shortcuts app for unknown shortcutsOpen the Shortcuts app from Applications and review your shortcut library for any shortcuts you did not create or that appear unfamiliarAffected if Any shortcuts exist that were not intentionally created or that you do not recognize
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Review shortcut modification datesIn the Shortcuts app, right-click each shortcut and select 'Get Info' to see when it was last modified, or use Terminal: ls -la ~/Library/Shortcuts/Affected if Shortcuts show modification dates during the period when the vulnerable version was in use
You are affected if your macOS version is 12.0.0-12.6.7 or 13.0-13.4 AND you have shortcuts in your library that may have been created or modified without your authorization.
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 · scoped12.6.813.5
Apply the vendor-supplied macOS security updates (Ventura 13.5 or Monterey 12.6.8) to patch the access control flaw. Review existing shortcuts for any that may have exploited this vulnerability to modify sensitive settings.
macOS Monterey 12.6.8 or macOS Ventura 13.5 (or later)
- Check the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac
- If running macOS Monterey (12.x), upgrade to macOS 12.6.8 or later via System Settings > General > Software Update
- If running macOS Ventura (13.x), upgrade to macOS 13.5 or later via System Settings > General > Software Update
- Alternatively, install the latest available macOS update which includes the security fix
- After updating, verify the Shortcuts app settings are not unexpectedly modified
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-32442 — 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-2023-32442 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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