dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-42858

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
The 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

This is a macOS authorization vulnerability where an application could bypass existing permission checks to access user-sensitive data. The fix involved implementing improved authorization checks in macOS to properly validate app requests for protected data. The vulnerability is local in nature (CVSS vector likely AV:L), requiring an attacker to have some level of code execution on the target system.

MitigationApply the relevant macOS security update: macOS Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.6.1, or Monterey 12.7.1 depending on the deployed OS version.

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

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. Identify installed macOS version
    Run 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or check System Settings > About > macOS version
    Affected if The version is 12.0 to 12.7.0, 13.0 to 13.6.0, or exactly 14.0 (unpatched)
  2. Check installed security updates
    Run 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' in Terminal and look for Security Updates in the output, or check System Settings > General > Software Update > Update History
    Affected if No security update containing 'Security Update 2023-XXX' or specific CVE fix for CVE-2023-42858 is listed
  3. Verify system authorization framework
    This is a systemic vulnerability in macOS authorization checks; there is no single config file to inspect. The definitive check is the OS version and patch level.
    Affected if System is running an unpatched version of macOS Monterey 12.x, Ventura 13.x, or Sonoma 14.0

You are affected if your macOS version falls within 12.0 to 12.7.0, 13.0 to 13.6.0, or exactly 14.0 and no corresponding security update has been installed.

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 relevant macOS security update: macOS Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.6.1, or Monterey 12.7.1 depending on the deployed OS version.

Recommended fix High confidence

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

  1. Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method before upgrading
  2. Check your current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac
  3. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
  4. Click on General > Software Update
  5. Wait for the update to appear - for macOS 14.0 users, look for macOS Sonoma 14.1; for macOS 12.x users, look for 12.7.1; for macOS 13.x users, look for 13.6.1
  6. Click 'Update Now' or 'Upgrade Now' to download and install the security update
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions and restart your Mac when prompted
Caveat Standard macOS upgrade considerations apply - some legacy apps may not be compatible; ensure critical software is supported 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
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.

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-2023-42858 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