dbcve.org
Ipad OsOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-42834

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.1 / 12.7.2 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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 · unedited
A privacy issue was addressed with improved handling of files. This issue is fixed in watchOS 10.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.6.3, iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.

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 confidence

This vulnerability relates to improper file handling in Apple's operating systems that could allow a malicious or misconfigured application to access sensitive user data. The issue stems from insufficient access controls or validation when processing files, potentially exposing private information to unauthorized applications. It affects multiple Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.

MitigationApply the available vendor updates: iOS 17.1/iPadOS 17.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.2, macOS Monterey 12.7.2, and watchOS 10.1. For systems that cannot be updated immediately, restrict app installations to trusted sources only and monitor for suspicious file access behavior.

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
Ipad OsOperating system
Affected:< 17.1
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 17.1
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 12.0, < 12.7.2>= 13.0, < 13.6.3= 14.0
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 10.1

CVSS 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
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check iOS version on iPhone
    Go to Settings > General > About and note the iOS version number displayed
    Affected if The version shown is less than 17.1 (for example, 17.0, 16.x, etc.)
  2. Check iPadOS version on iPad
    Go to Settings > General > About and note the iPadOS version number displayed
    Affected if The version shown is less than 17.1
  3. Check macOS version on Mac
    Click the Apple menu > About This Mac and note the macOS version and build number
    Affected if The version is 12.0 through 12.7.1, 13.0 through 13.6.2, or exactly 14.0 (not 14.1 or later)
  4. Check watchOS version on Apple Watch
    Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > About, and note the watchOS version
    Affected if The version shown is less than 10.1

A device is affected if it runs any iOS, iPadOS, macOS, or watchOS version lower than the fixed releases (17.1 for mobile, 12.7.2/13.6.3/14.1 for Mac, 10.1 for Watch).

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 10.1 / 12.7.2 / 13.6.3 or later
Fixed in 10.112.7.213.6.3
Interim mitigation

Apply the available vendor updates: iOS 17.1/iPadOS 17.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.2, macOS Monterey 12.7.2, and watchOS 10.1. For systems that cannot be updated immediately, restrict app installations to trusted sources only and monitor for suspicious file access behavior.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 17.1, iPadOS 17.1, macOS 12.7.2 (Monterey), macOS 13.6.3 (Ventura), macOS 14.1 (Sonoma), or watchOS 10.1 depending on device

  1. Check the current OS version on the affected device (Settings > General > About on iOS/iPadOS, System Preferences > General > About on macOS, Settings > General on watchOS)
  2. Back up the device using iCloud or local backup before performing the update
  3. For iPhone/iPad: Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 17.1 or iPadOS 17.1
  4. For Mac: Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install the appropriate fixed version (12.7.2 for Monterey, 13.6.3 for Ventura, or 14.1 for Sonoma)
  5. For Apple Watch: Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > Software Update, and install watchOS 10.1
  6. After updating, verify the new version is installed by checking Settings > General > About
Caveat Apple updates typically include compatibility changes; some older apps may not function on newer OS versions

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Ipad Os Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-42834 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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