CVE-2023-42929VulnerabilityPublished 10 Jan 2024Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-42929: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access protected user data

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium : upgrade to 14 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 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 14

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 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.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apple macOS	Affected <14	Fixed in 14

AI-suggested

1. Upgrade all macOS devices to macOS Sonoma 14 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. 2. Implement strict application control policies to restrict installation of apps from untrusted or unknown sources, reducing the risk of malicious apps being installed. 3. Educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted applications and social engineering tactics that could trigger exploitation. 4. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring unusual app behaviors and data access patterns on macOS devices. 5. Enforce least privilege principles and limit local user permissions where possible to reduce the attack surface. 6. Regularly audit installed applications and remove unnecessary or suspicious software. 7. Monitor security advisories from Apple and threat intelligence sources for any emerging exploits related to this vulnerability. 8. Consider network segmentation and data access controls to limit sensitive data exposure even if a device is compromised.

Description

The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14. An app may be able to access protected user data.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily threatens the confidentiality of sensitive user data on macOS devices. Organizations with employees using macOS for handling personal, financial, or proprietary information could face data leakage risks if malicious apps exploit this flaw. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government agencies are particularly sensitive to such data exposure. The vulnerability does not impact system integrity or availability, so operational disruption is unlikely. However, unauthorized data access could lead to privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), reputational damage, and potential financial penalties. The local attack vector and requirement for user interaction mean that insider threats or targeted phishing/social engineering campaigns could leverage this vulnerability. Organizations with a high density of Apple hardware and less mature endpoint security controls are at greater risk. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate urgency but does not eliminate the risk of future exploitation, especially as attackers develop proof-of-concept code.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 20:08 UTC

Technical details

References

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