CVE-2023-40390VulnerabilityPublished 28 Mar 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-40390: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access user-sensitive data

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium : upgrade to 14.2 when convenient.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

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

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 14.2

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

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
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: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
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 28 Mar 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 2026-10-25.

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 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

Upgrade Apple macOS to 14.2.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apple macOS	Affected <14.2	Fixed in 14.2

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2023-40390, European organizations should: 1) Ensure all macOS devices are updated promptly to macOS Sonoma 14.2 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. 2) Implement strict application control policies using Apple’s built-in tools like Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection to restrict installation of untrusted or unsigned apps. 3) Educate users about the risks of installing applications from unverified sources and the importance of verifying app permissions. 4) Monitor endpoint devices for unusual application behavior or unauthorized access attempts to sensitive data. 5) Employ Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies and automate patch management. 6) Regularly audit installed applications and remove unnecessary or suspicious software. 7) Consider deploying data loss prevention (DLP) tools to detect and prevent unauthorized data access or exfiltration on macOS devices. These measures collectively reduce the attack surface and limit the potential for exploitation.

Description

A privacy issue was addressed by moving sensitive data to a protected location. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.2. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality of sensitive user data on macOS devices. Organizations with employees using macOS for handling sensitive information—such as financial data, personal identifiable information (PII), or intellectual property—could face data leakage if malicious apps exploit this vulnerability. While the attack requires local access and user interaction, insider threats or social engineering attacks could facilitate exploitation. The impact is particularly relevant for sectors with strict data protection regulations like GDPR, where unauthorized data access can lead to compliance violations and reputational damage. Additionally, organizations relying on macOS for critical operations may experience indirect impacts if sensitive data exposure leads to further targeted attacks or loss of trust. However, the lack of known exploits in the wild and the requirement for user interaction somewhat limit the immediate risk.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 19:37 UTC

Technical details

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