VulnerabilityPublished 10 Jan 2024Updated 3 Jun 2025

CVE-2023-42831: Apple macOS · An app may be able to fingerprint the user

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 11.7.9 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:54 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 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 11.7.9

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 10 Jan 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

European organizations should ensure all Apple devices are updated promptly to the fixed versions: macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Ventura 13.5, iOS 15.7.8, and iPadOS 15.7.8 or later. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict application control policies to prevent unauthorized or untrusted apps from running, especially those sourced outside official app stores. Implement endpoint security solutions capable of detecting suspicious local app behaviors that attempt to access device fingerprinting APIs or gather unique device identifiers. User education is critical to reduce the risk of social engineering that could lead to installation of malicious apps. Additionally, organizations should audit and monitor privacy settings on Apple devices to limit app permissions that could facilitate fingerprinting. For highly sensitive environments, consider deploying mobile device management (MDM) solutions that enforce security baselines and restrict app installation. Regular privacy impact assessments should be conducted to ensure compliance with GDPR and other relevant regulations in light of this vulnerability.

Description

This issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.7.9, iOS 15.7.8 and iPadOS 15.7.8, macOS Monterey 12.6.8, macOS Ventura 13.5. An app may be able to fingerprint the user.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily poses a privacy risk rather than a direct operational threat. The ability for an app to fingerprint users could lead to unauthorized tracking or profiling of employees or customers, potentially violating GDPR and other privacy regulations prevalent in Europe. Organizations handling sensitive user data or operating in privacy-sensitive sectors (e.g., finance, healthcare, government) may face reputational damage or regulatory scrutiny if user fingerprinting leads to data misuse or breaches of privacy policies. Although the vulnerability does not directly compromise system integrity or availability, the exposure of unique user identifiers could be leveraged in multi-stage attacks or social engineering campaigns. The requirement for local access and user interaction somewhat limits the threat scope, but insider threats or malicious apps installed by users could exploit this vulnerability. Overall, the impact is moderate but significant in contexts where user privacy is critical.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Jul 2025, 10:41 UTC

Technical details

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