CVE-2023-38586 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/27/2023
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14. A sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2025
This vulnerability represents a sandbox escape issue affecting macOS Sonoma 14 systems where a sandboxed process can potentially bypass established security restrictions. The flaw resides in the operating system's sandboxing mechanism which is designed to isolate applications and prevent them from accessing unauthorized resources or system functions. The vulnerability allows malicious or compromised sandboxed processes to escalate their privileges and access restricted areas of the system that should normally be off-limits. This represents a critical security regression where the fundamental isolation principles of the sandboxing architecture have been compromised. The issue directly impacts the core security model of macOS and undermines the protective boundaries that separate user applications from system-critical components. According to CWE-276, this vulnerability aligns with improper access control weaknesses where the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions. The technical nature of this flaw suggests an implementation error in the sandbox enforcement mechanisms that allows for privilege escalation through unauthorized resource access. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because sandboxing is a primary defense mechanism in modern operating systems against malware and privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access control breaches as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of macOS systems. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources, user data, or other applications running in isolated environments. The vulnerability affects any application or process that relies on sandboxing for security isolation, including web browsers, email clients, and various productivity applications. Security researchers have identified that this issue can be exploited to bypass the containment provided by the sandbox, potentially allowing for more extensive system compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation could enable attackers to access files, network resources, or system functions that should remain restricted. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and sandbox evasion methods that attackers commonly use to expand their access within compromised systems. The fix implemented in macOS Sonoma 14 addresses the underlying sandbox enforcement mechanisms to properly restrict process behavior and prevent unauthorized access to system resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to macOS Sonoma 14 or later versions where the sandboxing restrictions have been properly enforced. Organizations should prioritize patching all affected systems to prevent potential exploitation of this access control flaw. Security administrators should implement additional monitoring for unusual process behavior or unauthorized access attempts that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date system security patches and proper security configuration management. Organizations should review their current sandboxing policies and ensure that all applications are properly isolated according to security best practices. Regular security assessments should verify that sandbox restrictions are properly enforced and that no unauthorized access pathways exist within the system architecture. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting and network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that sandboxing mechanisms, while effective when properly implemented, can be compromised by implementation flaws that require careful attention and timely remediation.