CVE-2023-41989
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 by restricting options offered on a locked device. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.1. An attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code as root from the Lock Screen.
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 confidenceThis is a macOS vulnerability where an attacker could execute arbitrary code with root privileges from the Lock Screen. The fix involved restricting options available on a locked device to prevent this privilege escalation attack.
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>= 14.0, < 14.1CVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 go to System Settings > About > macOSAffected if The version shows 14.0 exactly (macOS Sonoma 14.0) - versions 14.1 and later are fixed
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Confirm full version numberRun `system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType` and look for the full system version string (e.g., 23A344)Affected if The version begins with 23A (Sonoma 14.0 developer beta/release) - later build numbers like 23B or later contain the fix
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Identify if lock screen options are unrestrictedAt the login screen or Lock Screen, check if options like "Other User" or utility options (e.g., restart, shut down, sleep) are accessible without authentication - the fix removed or restricted these optionsAffected if Full lock screen utility options are visible and accessible without first authenticating, indicating the unpatched state
You are affected if running macOS Sonoma 14.0 (any build); you are NOT affected if running macOS 14.1 or later (Sonoma 14.1+).
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 · scoped14.1
Update to macOS Sonoma 14.1 or later, which contains the fix that restricts options offered on locked devices.
macOS Sonoma 14.1 or later
- Back up important data on your Mac before applying any system updates
- Connect your Mac to power to ensure the update process is not interrupted
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Navigate to General > Software Update
- Allow macOS to check for updates and install macOS Sonoma 14.1 or later
- Restart your Mac if prompted to complete the installation
- After updating, verify the version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac to confirm macOS 14.1 or later is installed
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
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-41989 — 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-2023-41989 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