VulnerabilityPublished 21 Feb 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-42858: 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 · fixed in 14.1 : 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: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 8% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 14.1, 13.6.1, 12.7.1

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 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, 13.6.1 or 12.7.1.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Appleapple/macos`pkg:deb/apple/macos`Other threats	Affected <12.7.1 <13.6.1 <14.1	Fixed in 12.7.1 13.6.1 14.1

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

AI-suggested

European organizations should prioritize updating all affected macOS devices to the patched versions: Sonoma 14.1, Monterey 12.7.1, or Ventura 13.6.1. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict application control policies to prevent installation of untrusted or unauthorized apps, reducing the risk of local exploitation. Employ endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting suspicious local activity or privilege escalation attempts. Implement least privilege principles for user accounts to limit the ability of apps to gain elevated access. Regularly audit installed applications and running processes on macOS endpoints to identify and remove potentially malicious or unnecessary software. Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted applications and the importance of reporting suspicious behavior. For highly sensitive environments, consider using macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Full Disk Encryption (FileVault) to add layers of defense. Finally, monitor security advisories from Apple and update systems promptly to mitigate emerging threats.

Description

The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.1. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily threatens the confidentiality of sensitive user data on macOS devices. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government, which often handle confidential personal or corporate data, could be at risk if attackers gain local access to macOS systems. The ability for a low-privileged app to access sensitive data could lead to data breaches, intellectual property theft, or exposure of personal identifiable information (PII), potentially resulting in regulatory penalties under GDPR. Although the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach alone can cause reputational damage and financial loss. The risk is heightened in environments where macOS devices are used extensively and where endpoint security controls are insufficient to prevent installation or execution of untrusted applications. Since exploitation requires local privileges, the threat is more relevant in scenarios involving insider threats, compromised user accounts, or malware that has already gained some foothold on the system.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 20:17 UTC

Technical details

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