dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2024-23209

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-01-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.3 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.3. Processing web content may lead to 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 WebKit memory handling vulnerability in macOS Sonoma that allows arbitrary code execution when processing malicious web content. The fix involved improved memory handling, likely addressing a use-after-free or similar memory corruption bug.

MitigationUpdate to macOS Sonoma 14.3 or later. For systems that cannot be immediately updated, restrict web browsing to trusted sites and consider disabling JavaScript in affected browsers as a temporary workaround.

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:< 14.3

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 your macOS version
    Run 'sw_vers' in Terminal or go to Apple menu > About This Mac to see the version number
    Affected if The system is running macOS Sonoma and the version is below 14.3 (for example, 14.0, 14.1, 14.2)
  2. Confirm the operating system is macOS Sonoma
    Look at the macOS version name - it must be Sonoma (version 14.x). Versions 13.x (Ventura) or earlier are different CVEs, and version 14.3 or later contains the fix
    Affected if The system shows macOS 14.0, 14.1, or 14.2 (any Sonoma version below 14.3)
  3. Identify WebKit-based browsers in use
    Common WebKit browsers on macOS include Safari, Chrome, and Edge. Check which browsers are installed by looking in the Applications folder
    Affected if Any WebKit-based browser (Safari, Chrome, Chromium-based browsers on macOS use WebKit for rendering) is in use on an affected macOS version
  4. Verify WebKit component version (optional)
    For Safari, you can check WebKit version via Safari > About Safari. For other browsers, the WebKit version is bundled and not directly exposed, but it matches the system WebKit version on unpatched systems
    Affected if The WebKit version corresponds to a build before the 14.3 security update

You are affected if running macOS Sonoma version 14.0, 14.1, or 14.2 and using any WebKit-based browser to process untrusted web content.

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 14.3 or later
Fixed in 14.3
Interim mitigation

Update to macOS Sonoma 14.3 or later. For systems that cannot be immediately updated, restrict web browsing to trusted sites and consider disabling JavaScript in affected browsers as a temporary workaround.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Sonoma 14.3

  1. Backup your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution
  2. Ensure your Mac meets the system requirements for macOS Sonoma 14.3
  3. Connect your Mac to a stable internet connection
  4. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
  5. Navigate to General > Software Update
  6. Click "Check for Update" or allow the system to automatically check
  7. When macOS Sonoma 14.3 appears, click "Download" to download the update
  8. Once downloaded, click "Install Now" to begin the installation
Caveat Minor point releases typically have minimal breaking changes; however, verify critical applications are compatible with macOS Sonoma before updating

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
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

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-2024-23209 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