CVE-2023-42938

Local privilege escalation via undisclosed logic flaw

Published Mar 14, 2024 · Updated Mar 28, 2025

Privilege escalation in Apple iTunes before 12.13.1 for Windows allows local users to gain elevated privileges through Mobile Device Service. Apple identifies an unspecified logic issue in that service that performed inadequate checks, but it has not disclosed the affected operation or input. Exploitation requires existing local access on a Windows system, and the published consequence is elevation beyond the user’s current privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Apple iTunes before 12.13.1 for Windows allows local users to gain elevated privileges through Mobile Device Service. Apple identifies an unspecified logic issue in that service that performed inadequate checks, but it has not disclosed the affected operation or input. Exploitation requires existing local access on a Windows system, and the published consequence is elevation beyond the user’s current privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-42938
Published
Mar 14, 2024
Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Vendor
Apple
Product
iTunes for Windows
Classifications
CWE-693, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 14, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 28, 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 <12.13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · iTunes for Windowsversion=unspecified <12.13
Apple · iTunesversion=0 <12.13.1

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-693Protection Mechanism Failure
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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