How severe is CVE-2023-42844?

CVE-2023-42844 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2023-42844 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (71st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-42844?

CVE-2023-42844 affects Apple Macos. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-42844?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2023-42844 published?

CVE-2023-42844 was published on 2023-10-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-42844

CVE-2023-42844 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Macos with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (71st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Apple Macos
Published: 2023-10-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

This issue was addressed with improved handling of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.1. A website may be able to access sensitive user data when resolving symlinks.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-42844?: This issue was addressed with improved handling of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.1, macOS Monterey 12.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.1. A website may be able to access sensitive user data when resolving symlinks.
How severe is CVE-2023-42844?: CVE-2023-42844 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-42844 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (71st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-42844?: CVE-2023-42844 affects Apple Macos. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-42844?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2023-42844 published?: CVE-2023-42844 was published on 2023-10-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Apple Macos

CVE-2025-43300 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.8.5 and iPadOS…
CVE-2025-24201 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved checks to prevent unauthorized actions. This issue is fixed in…
CVE-2025-24085 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3,…
CVE-2024-44148 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): This issue was addressed with improved validation of file attributes. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15. An app…
CVE-2024-44146 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A logic issue was addressed with improved file handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15. An app may be able to…
CVE-2023-40455 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14. A sandboxed…

All CVEs affecting Apple Macos →

Other CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (Link Following)) vulnerabilities

CVE-2024-37143 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Dell PowerFlex appliance versions prior to IC 46.381.00 and IC 46.376.00, Dell PowerFlex rack versions prior to RCM…
CVE-2024-28189 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Judge0 is an open-source online code execution system. The application uses the UNIX chown command on an untrusted file…
CVE-2024-28185 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Judge0 is an open-source online code execution system. The application does not account for symlinks placed inside the…
CVE-2022-22995 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The combination of primitives offered by SMB and AFP in their default configuration allows the arbitrary writing of…
CVE-2014-4480 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Directory traversal vulnerability in afc in AppleFileConduit in Apple iOS before 8.1.3 and Apple TV before 7.0.3 allows…
CVE-2002-2374 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in pprosetup in Sun PatchPro 2.0 has unknown impact and attack vectors related to "unsafe use…

Browse all CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (Link Following)) vulnerabilities →