CVE-2023-42887VulnerabilityPublished 23 Jan 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-42887: Apple macOS · An app may be able to read arbitrary files

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.3 Medium : upgrade to 14.2 or 13.6.4 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.3Medium

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 15% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 14.2, 13.6.4

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

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
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: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
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 23 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 2026-10-26.

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 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 14.2 or 13.6.4.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Appleapple/macos`pkg:deb/apple/macos`Other threats	Affected <13.6.4 <14.2	Fixed in 13.6.4 14.2

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 implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Deploy macOS updates promptly, specifically upgrading to Ventura 13.6.4 or Sonoma 14.2 or later, to apply the sandbox restriction fixes. 2) Enforce strict application control policies to limit installation and execution of untrusted or unsigned applications, reducing the risk of malicious apps exploiting this vulnerability. 3) Educate users on the risks of running unknown or unverified applications and the importance of avoiding suspicious downloads or email attachments to prevent social engineering vectors. 4) Utilize endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for unusual file access patterns or sandbox escape attempts on macOS devices. 5) Implement least privilege principles for user accounts to minimize the impact of local exploits. 6) Regularly audit and monitor macOS systems for unauthorized software installations or anomalous behavior. These targeted steps go beyond generic patching advice by focusing on user behavior, application control, and monitoring to reduce exploitation likelihood.

Description

An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.6.4, macOS Sonoma 14.2. An app may be able to read arbitrary files.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized data disclosure if attackers can convince users to run malicious applications locally. Sensitive files, including corporate documents, credentials, or configuration files, could be exposed, leading to potential data breaches or intellectual property theft. Organizations with employees using macOS devices, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, and government, may face increased risk due to the potential sensitivity of exposed data. Although exploitation requires local access and user interaction, phishing or social engineering attacks could facilitate this. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, so it is less likely to cause operational disruption but remains a significant confidentiality concern. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits over time. Organizations relying on macOS for endpoint computing should prioritize patching to mitigate this exposure.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 18:38 UTC

Technical details

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