dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-42860

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 permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. 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 modify protected parts of the file system.

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 permissions bypass vulnerability in macOS allowed a malicious or compromised application to modify protected parts of the file system, circumventing sandbox or entitlement restrictions. The fix implements additional restrictions to enforce proper file system protection boundaries.

MitigationApply the appropriate macOS security update (Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.6.1, or Monterey 12.7.1) to all affected systems. Verify that legitimate applications still function correctly after patching, as the new restrictions may affect previously permitted file system access patterns.

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
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/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. Determine your macOS version
    Open System Settings > General > About, or run the command `sw_vers` in Terminal. Note the version number shown (for example, 13.5 or 14.0).
    Affected if The version is 12.0 through 12.7.0, 13.0 through 13.6.0, or exactly 14.0 (unpatched). Versions 12.7.1, 13.6.1, 14.1 and later are not affected.

Your system is affected if it runs an unpatched macOS Monterey 12.0-12.7.0, 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 all affected systems. Verify that legitimate applications still function correctly after patching, as the new restrictions may affect previously permitted file system access patterns.

Recommended fix High confidence

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

  1. Identify your current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac
  2. If running macOS Monterey 12.0-12.7.0, upgrade to macOS 12.7.1 or later
  3. If running macOS Ventura 13.0-13.6.0, upgrade to macOS 13.6.1 or later
  4. If running macOS Sonoma 14.0, upgrade to macOS 14.1 or later
  5. To upgrade: Click Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update
  6. Allow the system to download and install the security update
  7. Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation
Caveat Standard security patch with minimal risk; ensure compatible applications before upgrading major versions

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
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.

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-2023-42860 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