CVE-2023-42838
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 improvements to the sandbox. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.6.3, macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.2. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code out of its sandbox or with certain elevated privileges.
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 a macOS sandbox escape vulnerability where an application can bypass sandbox restrictions to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The flaw was addressed through improvements to the macOS sandbox implementation.
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, < 12.7.2>= 13.0, < 13.6.3= 14.0CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/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.
-
Check installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or go to Apple menu > About This MacAffected if The version is 12.0 to 12.7.1, 13.0 to 13.6.2, or exactly 14.0
-
Confirm macOS name and build numberRun 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' to see the full macOS name (Monterey, Ventura, or Sonoma) and build numberAffected if Running an affected macOS version as above
-
Identify if sandboxed applications are presentReview running applications, particularly those from untrusted sources or third-party apps that may have sandbox entitlementsAffected if Any sandboxed third-party applications are installed or running on an affected macOS version
A system is affected if it runs macOS Monterey 12.0-12.7.1, Ventura 13.0-13.6.2, or Sonoma 14.0, and has or runs sandboxed applications that could potentially exploit this sandbox escape to gain elevated privileges.
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 · scoped12.7.213.6.3
Apply the macOS security updates: update to macOS Monterey 12.7.2, Ventura 13.6.3, or Sonoma 14.1 or later.
macOS 12.7.2 (Monterey), macOS 13.6.3 (Ventura), or macOS Sonoma 14.1 (depending on current version)
- Check current macOS version by clicking Apple menu > About This Mac
- Back up important data before applying any system update
- For macOS 12.x (Monterey) users: Update to macOS 12.7.2 or later via System Settings > Software Update
- For macOS 13.x (Ventura) users: Update to macOS 13.6.3 or later via System Settings > Software Update
- For macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) users: Update to macOS Sonoma 14.1 or later via System Settings > Software Update
- Restart the system after the update completes
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 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 $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-42838 — 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-2023-42838 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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