CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2023-42844

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

Published: Oct 25, 2023 | Modified: Nov 02, 2023
CVSS 3.x
7.5
HIGH
Source:
NVD
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS 2.x
RedHat/V2
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu

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.

Weakness

The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

Affected Software

Name Vendor Start Version End Version
Macos Apple 12.0.0 (including) 12.7.1 (excluding)
Macos Apple 13.0 (including) 13.6.1 (excluding)
Macos Apple 14.0 (including) 14.1 (excluding)

Potential Mitigations

  • Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
  • Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.

References