dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-42886

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.7.2 / 13.6.3 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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
An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.2, macOS Ventura 13.6.3, macOS Monterey 12.7.2. A user may be able to cause 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

This is a memory safety vulnerability in macOS where an out-of-bounds read exists due to insufficient bounds checking. The vulnerability allows reading memory outside the allocated buffer boundaries, which can lead to information disclosure, denial of service (app crash), or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on what data is read and how it's exploited.

MitigationApply the macOS security update by upgrading to macOS Sonoma 14.2, Ventura 13.6.3, or Monterey 12.7.2 or later. In enterprise environments, deploy the update via MDM or software distribution mechanisms and verify completion across all managed macOS devices.

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:>= 12.0.0, < 12.7.2>= 13.0, < 13.6.3>= 14.0, < 14.2

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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
    Run 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal to retrieve the current macOS version number
    Affected if The version falls within any of these ranges: 12.0.0 to 12.7.1, 13.0 to 13.6.2, or 14.0 to 14.1 (versions below the fixed releases 12.7.2, 13.6.3, and 14.2)
  2. Confirm macOS build date if needed
    Run 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' to see detailed OS information including build version
    Affected if The build version corresponds to an unpatched release within the affected version ranges
  3. Verify OS component affected
    This vulnerability is a kernel-level memory safety issue in macOS core components; no specific feature or service needs to be enabled for the flaw to exist
    Affected if The system is running any unpatched macOS version within the affected ranges listed above

A macOS device is affected if it runs version 12.0.0 through 12.7.1, 13.0 through 13.6.2, or 14.0 through 14.1, since these versions lack the security fix for CVE-2023-42886.

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 12.7.2 / 13.6.3 / 14.2 or later
Fixed in 12.7.213.6.314.2
Interim mitigation

Apply the macOS security update by upgrading to macOS Sonoma 14.2, Ventura 13.6.3, or Monterey 12.7.2 or later. In enterprise environments, deploy the update via MDM or software distribution mechanisms and verify completion across all managed macOS devices.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Monterey 12.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.6.3, or macOS Sonoma 14.2 (depending on hardware support)

  1. Check current macOS version by clicking Apple menu > About This Mac
  2. Back up important data before upgrading (standard best practice)
  3. Open System Preferences (System Settings on macOS 13+) > Software Update
  4. Allow the system to check for updates and install any available updates
  5. Alternatively, download and install the specific security update: macOS Monterey 12.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.6.3, or macOS Sonoma 14.2 depending on your current macOS version and hardware compatibility
  6. Restart the system when prompted to complete the installation
Caveat Standard upgrade considerations apply: verify app compatibility, backup data, and ensure sufficient disk space

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-2023-42886 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