CVE-2023-42933 is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Apple macOS, fixed in macOS Sonoma 14. The vulnerability allows a malicious application to gain elevated privileges on the system by bypassing existing security checks. The issue stems from insufficient validation in the privilege escalation path, enabling an unprivileged app to perform actions normally restricted to higher-privileged processes. Exploitation requires local access and user interaction, such as running a malicious app, but does not require prior authentication or administrative rights. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 indicates a high-severity flaw with low attack complexity and no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as an attacker could execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise, data theft, or disruption of services. Apple addressed the issue by implementing improved checks to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. No public exploits or active exploitation in the wild have been reported to date, but the vulnerability presents a significant risk if left unpatched. Organizations relying on macOS devices should prioritize patching to mitigate potential attacks.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, particularly for those in sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and critical infrastructure that utilize macOS devices. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of business operations, and potential lateral movement within networks. The ability to escalate privileges locally means that insider threats or attackers who gain initial foothold through phishing or social engineering could leverage this flaw to deepen their access. The impact extends to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems, potentially resulting in data breaches, system manipulation, or denial of service. Given the widespread use of Apple devices in many European enterprises and public institutions, failure to patch could expose critical assets to compromise. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, emphasizing the importance of proactive mitigation.

European organizations should immediately plan and execute upgrades to macOS Sonoma 14 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Until full deployment, restrict local user permissions to the minimum necessary and enforce strict application control policies to prevent execution of unauthorized or untrusted applications. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for suspicious privilege escalation behaviors. Conduct user awareness training to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could lead to local execution of malicious apps. Regularly audit macOS systems for compliance with security baselines and ensure that software installation is tightly controlled. Additionally, implement network segmentation to limit the impact of any compromised macOS device. Organizations should also monitor Apple security advisories for any updates or detection signatures related to this vulnerability.