VulnerabilityPublished 10 Jun 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-40389: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access sensitive user data

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 13.6.5 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 12% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 13.6.5

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Jun 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

AI-suggested

Immediately apply the security updates provided by Apple: macOS Ventura 13.6.5 and macOS Monterey 12.7.4 or later to all affected devices.
Conduct an audit of installed applications to identify and remove or restrict apps with unnecessary privileges or access to sensitive data containers.
Implement strict endpoint security policies that limit local user privileges and enforce application whitelisting or sandboxing to reduce the risk of unauthorized data access.
Monitor macOS devices for unusual local access patterns or unauthorized application behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts.
Educate users and IT staff about the importance of timely patching and the risks associated with running untrusted applications.
Employ data encryption and access controls on sensitive data containers to add an additional layer of protection beyond OS-level controls.
Integrate vulnerability management processes to ensure continuous assessment and remediation of macOS vulnerabilities.

Description

The issue was addressed with improved restriction of data container access. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.6.5, macOS Monterey 12.7.4. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.

Impact

For European organizations, especially those in sectors such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality of sensitive user data stored on macOS devices. Unauthorized data access could lead to data breaches, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and reputational damage. Organizations with remote or hybrid workforces using macOS devices may face increased exposure if endpoint security controls are insufficient. Although the vulnerability requires local access and limited privileges, insider threats or malware that gains foothold on a device could exploit this flaw to escalate data access. The absence of impact on integrity and availability reduces the risk of operational disruption but does not diminish the importance of protecting sensitive information. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate threat but does not preclude future exploitation attempts. Overall, the vulnerability could facilitate data leakage and unauthorized information disclosure, which are critical concerns under European data protection frameworks.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 18:38 UTC

Technical details

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