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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2023-42876: Apple macOS · Processing a file may lead to a denial-of-service or potentially disclose memory contents

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High : upgrade to 14 soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.1High
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 14
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 10 Jan 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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.

What to do

Upgrade Apple macOS to 14.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Apple macOSAffected
  • <14
Fixed in
  • 14

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2023-42876, European organizations should immediately prioritize updating all macOS devices to Sonoma 14 or later, where the vulnerability is patched with improved bounds checks. Implement strict policies to restrict file sources, especially from untrusted or external origins, to reduce the risk of malicious file processing. Enhance user awareness training to recognize and avoid opening suspicious files, particularly those received via email or messaging platforms. Employ endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting anomalous file processing behavior or crashes indicative of exploitation attempts. Regularly audit and monitor macOS systems for unusual activity or crashes that could signal exploitation attempts. Consider application whitelisting or sandboxing for applications that process files from external sources to limit potential damage. Maintain a robust backup and recovery plan to minimize downtime in case of denial-of-service incidents. Finally, integrate macOS vulnerability management into the broader organizational cybersecurity framework to ensure timely patch deployment and risk assessment.

Description

The issue was addressed with improved bounds checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14. Processing a file may lead to a denial-of-service or potentially disclose memory contents.

References

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