CVE-2023-32443
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 out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Ventura 13.5, macOS Big Sur 11.7.9. Processing a file may lead to a denial-of-service or potentially disclose memory contents.
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 confidenceThis is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in macOS that stems from insufficient input validation when processing files. A maliciously crafted file can trigger the vulnerability, leading to either denial of service (application crash) or disclosure of sensitive memory contents. The vulnerability affects macOS Big Sur, Monterey, and Ventura.
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>= 11.0, < 11.7.9>= 12.0, < 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 macOS versionOpen System Settings > General > About, or run 'sw_vers -productVersion' in TerminalAffected if The version is 11.0 to 11.7.8, 12.0 to 12.6.7, or 13.0 to 13.4 (any version before 11.7.9, 12.6.8, or 13.5)
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Identify user exposure to untrusted filesReview whether users in your environment commonly open files from untrusted or unknown sources, or run the command 'defaults read /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.LaunchServices.quarantine' to check quarantine status if availableAffected if Users open files from untrusted or unknown sources on unpatched macOS versions
You are affected if you run macOS Big Sur, Monterey, or Ventura versions before 11.7.9, 12.6.8, or 13.5 respectively, and users process files from untrusted sources.
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 · scoped11.7.912.6.813.5
Apply the appropriate macOS security update (Big Sur 11.7.9, Monterey 12.6.8, or Ventura 13.5) to all affected systems. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted files from unknown sources.
macOS Big Sur 11.7.9 or later; macOS Monterey 12.6.8 or later; macOS Ventura 13.5 or later
- Check current macOS version: Apple menu > About This Mac
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine before updating
- Open System Preferences (or System Settings on macOS Ventura and later)
- Navigate to Software Update
- Click 'Check for Update' and install any available updates
- Alternatively, download the appropriate Security Update from https://support.apple.com and install manually
- Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-32443 — 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-2023-32443 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