CVE-2023-42861

Cross-account screen unlock via login state confusion

Published Oct 25, 2023 · Updated Feb 13, 2025

Authentication bypass in Apple macOS before 14.1 allows local users with one standard account's credentials to unlock another user's screen. The Login Window component incorrectly manages authentication state, but Apple has not disclosed the specific state transition or validation error. Exploitation requires access to the same Mac and valid credentials for one standard user, and it exposes the locked session of a different standard user.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.62%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in Apple macOS before 14.1 allows local users with one standard account's credentials to unlock another user's screen. The Login Window component incorrectly manages authentication state, but Apple has not disclosed the specific state transition or validation error. Exploitation requires access to the same Mac and valid credentials for one standard user, and it exposes the locked session of a different standard user.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-42861
Published
Oct 25, 2023
Updated
Feb 13, 2025
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-732, T1078.003
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 25, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <14.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <14.1

Published CVSS scores

6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1078.003Valid Accounts: Local Accounts

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

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Your stack

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