macOS: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges
CVE-2023-42931 is a high-severity improper handling of insufficient permissions or privileges vulnerability in macOS from Apple, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 13.6, 12.7, 14.2 as the first without the flaw, so updating macOS to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.17% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 68% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update macOS to 13.6 or 12.7 or 14.2 or 12.7.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on support.apple.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | macOS | before 13.6; before 12.7; before 14.2; 12.0.0 up to, but not including, 12.7.2; 13.0 up to, but not including, 13.6.3; 14.0 up to, but not including, 14.2 | 13.6, 12.7, 14.2, 12.7.2, 13.6.3 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.3 | High | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.6.3, macOS Sonoma 14.2, macOS Monterey 12.7.2. A process may gain admin privileges without proper authentication.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges
The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when it has insufficient privileges to access resources or functionality as specified by their permissions. This may cause it to follow unexpected code paths that may leave the product in an invalid state.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Compartmentalize the system to have safe areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
- Always check to see if you have successfully accessed a resource or system functionality, and use proper error handling if it is unsuccessful. Do this even when you are operating in a highly privileged mode, because errors or environmental conditions might still cause a failure. For example, environments with highly granular permissions/privilege models, such as Windows or Linux capabilities, can cause unexpected failures.
More Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges vulnerabilities (CWE-280)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214036Release Notes
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214037Release Notes
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT214038Release Notes
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in macOS
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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