CVE-2023-42877
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 · uneditedThe 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 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 confidenceThis is a macOS vulnerability where an application could bypass file system protection mechanisms and modify protected parts of the file system. The issue was addressed through improved authorization checks in macOS Sonoma 14.1, Monterey 12.7.1, and Ventura 13.6.1. The CVSS 5.5 indicates local access is required for exploitation.
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, < 12.7.1>= 13.0, < 13.6.1= 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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine installed macOS versionClick Apple menu > About This Mac, or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if Version is 12.0 to 12.7.0, 13.0 to 13.6.0, or exactly 14.0 (before 14.1)
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Confirm patch status via system updateOpen System Settings > General > Software Update, or run 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' in TerminalAffected if No security update (Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.6.1, or Monterey 12.7.1) is listed as installed
If the macOS version falls within 12.0-12.7.0, 13.0-13.6.0, or 14.0 and the corresponding security update has not been installed, the system is affected by this file system protection bypass.
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 · scoped12.7.113.6.1
Apply the appropriate macOS security update (Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.6.1, or Monterey 12.7.1) to the affected systems to receive the improved file system protection checks.
macOS Monterey 12.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.1, or macOS Sonoma 14.1 (depending on your current major version)
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method before proceeding with the upgrade
- Verify your current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac
- For macOS Monterey (12.x) users: Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install macOS 12.7.1
- For macOS Ventura (13.x) users: Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install macOS 13.6.1
- For macOS Sonoma (14.0) users: Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install macOS 14.1
- After the upgrade completes, restart your Mac when prompted to ensure all security patches take effect
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 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 $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-42877 — 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-2023-42877 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
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- 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