CVE-2023-42903
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 · uneditedMultiple memory corruption issues were addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.2. Processing a maliciously crafted 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 · moderate confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in macOS Sonoma (prior to 14.2) where insufficient input validation when processing maliciously crafted files leads to heap corruption, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or denial of service through unexpected app termination.
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>= 14.0, < 14.2CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check macOS Sonoma versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal to get the exact macOS version numberAffected if The version is 14.0 or 14.1 (falls in the range >=14.0 and <14.2)
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Identify the OS build numberRun 'sw_vers -buildVersion' to get the build number, which can help confirm the exact patch stateAffected if The build number corresponds to an unpatched Sonoma 14.0 or 14.1 release
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Review recent crash logs for file processing appsCheck /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports or use Console app for crash logs related to apps that process files, looking for heap corruption or unexpected terminationAffected if Heap corruption crashes occur in applications that process untrusted input files
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Verify Security Update statusCheck System Settings > General > Software Update to see if the Sonoma 14.2 security update has been installedAffected if The 14.2 security update is not installed and the OS version remains vulnerable
The environment is affected if macOS Sonoma is installed at version 14.0 or 14.1 and the 14.2 security update has not been applied.
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 · scoped14.2
Apply macOS Sonoma 14.2 or later security update to patch the input validation vulnerabilities in the affected component.
macOS Sonoma 14.2
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method before updating
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Click on General in the sidebar
- Click Software Update
- Allow macOS to check for updates
- If macOS Sonoma 14.2 or later is available, click Update Now or Download to install the update
- Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-42903 — 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-2023-42903 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