VulnerabilityPublished 21 Feb 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-42836: Apple macOS · An attacker may be able to access connected network volumes mounted in the home directory

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.3 Medium · fixed in 14.1 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.3Medium

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

EPSS: 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 50% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 14.1, 13.6.3, 12.7.2

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
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: 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: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
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 21 Feb 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

Upgrade apple/macos to 14.1, 13.6.3 or 12.7.2.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Appleapple/macos`pkg:deb/apple/macos`Other threats	Affected <12.7.2 <13.6.3 <14.1	Fixed in 12.7.2 13.6.3 14.1

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

Apply the official Apple security updates promptly: macOS Ventura 13.6.3, macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.2, and iOS/iPadOS 17.1.
Restrict mounting of network volumes to trusted and authenticated sources only, using network access controls and policies.
Implement network segmentation to limit access to network shares from only authorized devices and users.
Monitor access logs and network traffic for unusual or unauthorized access attempts to network-mounted volumes.
Educate users about the risks of mounting unknown or untrusted network shares, especially in home directories.
Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous file access patterns on macOS devices.
Review and enforce least privilege principles for network share permissions to minimize exposure if compromised.
Consider disabling automatic mounting of network volumes in home directories if not required by business processes.

Description

A logic issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.3, macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.2. An attacker may be able to access connected network volumes mounted in the home directory.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data stored on network-mounted volumes within users' home directories. This is particularly concerning for enterprises and government agencies that use macOS devices extensively and rely on network shares for file storage and collaboration. The confidentiality breach could expose intellectual property, personal data, or other sensitive information, potentially leading to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR and reputational damage. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability, the risk is primarily data leakage. However, the ease of exploitation (no authentication or user interaction required) increases the threat level. Organizations with remote or hybrid workforces using macOS devices connected to corporate networks are at heightened risk. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate urgency but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers could develop exploits following public disclosure.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 20:15 UTC

Technical details

References

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