dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-42856

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.7.1 / 13.6.1 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
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
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.1. Processing a file may lead to unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution.

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 confidence

A memory handling vulnerability in macOS that can be triggered when processing a specially crafted file, potentially leading to unexpected application termination (denial of service) or arbitrary code execution with user-level privileges.

MitigationApply the available Apple security updates for the respective macOS version: Sonoma 14.1, Monterey 12.7.1, or Ventura 13.6.1.

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:>= 12.0, < 12.7.1>= 13.0, < 13.6.1>= 14.0, < 14.1

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 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 is 12.0 to 12.7.0, 13.0 to 13.6.0, or 14.0 to 14.0.x (any version before the patches listed in 12.7.1, 13.6.1, or 14.1)
  2. Identify macOS release name
    Run: sw_vers -productVersion and map to release: 12.x = Monterey, 13.x = Ventura, 14.x = Sonoma
    Affected if Running an unpatched Monterey, Ventura, or Sonoma version within the affected ranges
  3. Check if applications process external files
    Review which applications on the system handle untrusted or specially crafted files (document viewers, media players, image editors)
    Affected if Any vulnerable application that processes untrusted content is present and in use
  4. Verify current security update status
    Check System Settings > General > Software Update for available updates, or run: defaults read /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/Info.plist CFBundleVersion 2>/dev/null
    Affected if Security updates for this CVE have not been installed

If the system runs macOS Monterey 12.0-12.7.0, Ventura 13.0-13.6.0, or Sonoma 14.0-14.0 and processes untrusted files, the environment is potentially affected by this memory handling vulnerability.

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 / 14.1 or later
Fixed in 12.7.113.6.114.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the available Apple security updates for the respective macOS version: Sonoma 14.1, Monterey 12.7.1, or Ventura 13.6.1.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS 12.7.1 (Monterey), macOS 13.6.1 (Ventura), or macOS 14.1 (Sonoma) depending on current version

  1. Identify the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac
  2. Determine which upgrade path applies based on your current macOS version:
  3. - If running macOS 12.x (Monterey), upgrade to macOS 12.7.1 or later
  4. - If running macOS 13.x (Ventura), upgrade to macOS 13.6.1 or later
  5. - If running macOS 14.x (Sonoma), upgrade to macOS 14.1 or later
  6. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
  7. Navigate to General > Software Update
  8. Click Check for Update and install the available security update

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

Fix this in macOS 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
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

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-2023-42856 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