dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2023-42912

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.2 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Multiple 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 confidence

Memory corruption vulnerability in macOS stemming from insufficient input validation when processing files. A maliciously crafted file can trigger buffer overflows or similar memory corruption, leading to arbitrary code execution or application crash. Fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.2.

MitigationApply macOS Sonoma 14.2 or later security update. Avoid opening files from untrusted or unknown sources.

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:>= 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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed macOS version
    Run 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or go to Apple menu > About This Mac
    Affected if Version shows 14.0 or 14.1.x (any version >= 14.0 but < 14.2)
  2. Confirm macOS Sonoma lineage
    Verify the major version number is 14 (Sonoma) using the same version check
    Affected if System is running macOS 14.x
  3. Review crash logs for file processing issues
    Check ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports or use Console app for recent crashes related to file handling
    Affected if Recent crashes occur when opening files from untrusted sources

System is affected if it runs macOS Sonoma version 14.0 or 14.1.x (any version >= 14.0 but < 14.2), as the vulnerability exists in that range and was patched in 14.2.

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 14.2 or later
Fixed in 14.2
Interim mitigation

Apply macOS Sonoma 14.2 or later security update. Avoid opening files from untrusted or unknown sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Sonoma 14.2

  1. Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution before updating
  2. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
  3. Navigate to General > Software Update
  4. Wait for macOS to check for updates - macOS Sonoma 14.2 should appear
  5. Click 'Update Now' or 'Upgrade Now' to download and install macOS Sonoma 14.2
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions and restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
3.0 hours of engineering $750
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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

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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-2023-42912 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