dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-42853

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.7.1 / 13.6.1 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 logic issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.1. An app may be able to access user-sensitive 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

A logic flaw in macOS allowed applications to improperly access user-sensitive data due to insufficient authorization checks. Apple addressed this with improved validation logic in the affected macOS versions (Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.6.1, Monterey 12.7.1).

MitigationApply the appropriate macOS security update (Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.6.1, or Monterey 12.7.1) to affected systems to receive the improved access control checks.

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
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 12.7.1>= 13.0, < 13.6.1= 14.0

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 installed macOS version
    Open Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version displayed is earlier than 12.7.1, between 13.0 and 13.6.0, or exactly 14.0
  2. Identify macOS release name
    Run: sw_vers -productVersion and note the major version number (12=Monterey, 13=Ventura, 14=Sonoma)
    Affected if Running Monterey below 12.7.1, Ventura below 13.6.1, or Sonoma 14.0 (not 14.1 or higher)
  3. Verify system is not patched
    Compare your installed version against the fixed releases: Monterey 12.7.1, Ventura 13.6.1, or Sonoma 14.1
    Affected if Your installed version is lower than these fixed releases

A user is affected if running macOS Monterey 12.7.0 or earlier, Ventura 13.0-13.6.0, or Sonoma 14.0.

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 12.7.1 / 13.6.1 or later
Fixed in 12.7.113.6.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the appropriate macOS security update (Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.6.1, or Monterey 12.7.1) to affected systems to receive the improved access control checks.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Monterey 12.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.1, or macOS Sonoma 14.1 depending on your current major version

  1. 1. Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution before performing any system update.
  2. 2. Determine your current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac.
  3. 3. For macOS Monterey (12.x) users: Update to macOS 12.7.1 by going to System Settings > General > Software Update and installing the available update.
  4. 4. For macOS Ventura (13.x) users: Update to macOS 13.6.1 by going to System Settings > General > Software Update and installing the available update.
  5. 5. For macOS Sonoma (14.0) users: Update to macOS 14.1 by going to System Settings > General > Software Update and installing the available update.
  6. 6. After the update completes, restart your Mac when prompted to ensure all security patches are fully applied.
Caveat Standard macOS upgrade risks apply: some legacy applications may become incompatible, ensure backup exists before upgrading

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

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA0.5 h
3.5 hours of engineering $750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-42853 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