CVE-2023-41979 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS involving a race condition that allows an application to modify protected parts of the file system. The root cause is an insufficient locking mechanism that fails to properly serialize access to sensitive file system areas, enabling a race condition exploit. This flaw could be leveraged by a malicious app running on the system to gain unauthorized write access to critical system files or directories that are normally protected by the operating system's security controls. Apple addressed this issue by improving the locking strategy in macOS Sonoma 14, thereby preventing concurrent access that leads to the race condition. The vulnerability affects unspecified versions of macOS prior to Sonoma 14, and no public exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. However, the nature of the vulnerability suggests that a local attacker or malicious app could exploit it to compromise system integrity, potentially leading to privilege escalation or persistence mechanisms by altering system files. Since the vulnerability involves the file system and protected areas, successful exploitation could impact system stability, confidentiality of system data, and availability of services. The lack of a CVSS score requires an assessment based on the technical details, which indicates a significant risk due to the ability to modify protected file system parts without requiring elevated privileges initially, assuming the app can run locally.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-41979 could be substantial, particularly for those relying on macOS devices in critical environments such as government, finance, healthcare, and technology sectors. Exploitation could allow attackers to alter system files, potentially leading to unauthorized code execution, persistence, or disruption of services. This could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data and disrupt business operations. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or those that deploy macOS in enterprise environments are at risk if devices are not promptly updated. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits targeting this vulnerability. Given the increasing use of macOS in European enterprises and public sector organizations, the vulnerability poses a risk to operational security and compliance with data protection regulations if exploited.

To mitigate CVE-2023-41979, European organizations should prioritize upgrading all macOS devices to macOS Sonoma 14 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. In environments where immediate upgrading is not feasible, organizations should enforce strict application control policies to limit the installation and execution of untrusted or unsigned applications that could exploit this race condition. Employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring suspicious file system modifications can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, restricting user privileges and applying the principle of least privilege can reduce the likelihood of a malicious app running with sufficient rights to exploit the vulnerability. Regularly auditing system integrity and monitoring for unauthorized changes to protected file system areas will aid in early detection. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of installing untrusted software and maintain robust patch management processes to ensure timely updates.