Sensitive-data access via improper path validation
Published Jan 10, 2024 · Updated Jun 17, 2025
Path traversal in libc in Apple macOS Ventura before 13.3 allows local users to access sensitive user data through a malicious app. Apple identifies improper path handling in libc but has not published the affected routine or the exact validation error applied to untrusted paths. Exploitation requires a user to run an app locally, and the documented consequence is limited to reading user-sensitive data.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in libc in Apple macOS Ventura before 13.3 allows local users to access sensitive user data through a malicious app. Apple identifies improper path handling in libc but has not published the affected routine or the exact validation error applied to untrusted paths. Exploitation requires a user to run an app locally, and the documented consequence is limited to reading user-sensitive data.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-40383
- Published
- Jan 10, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2025
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- macOS
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1005
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 10, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 17, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <13.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo