CVE-2023-40402 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/27/2023
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-40402 represents a critical permissions flaw in macOS Sonoma 14 that could potentially allow unauthorized applications to access sensitive user data. This issue stems from insufficient access controls within the operating system's security framework, creating a pathway for malicious or poorly designed applications to bypass normal permission boundaries. The vulnerability specifically affects the macOS Sonoma 14 operating system and demonstrates a failure in the system's mandatory access control mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized data access.
The technical flaw manifests as a weakness in the kernel-level permission handling that governs how applications interact with user data and system resources. When an application attempts to access sensitive user information, the system should enforce strict authorization checks based on the application's entitlements and user permissions. However, this vulnerability allows certain applications to circumvent these protections, potentially accessing files, personal information, or system data that should be restricted to authorized processes only. The issue is classified under CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control vulnerabilities, where an application or process gains access to resources for which it does not have proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates potential attack vectors for sophisticated malware or malicious actors who could exploit the permission bypass to gather sensitive information. Attackers could leverage this flaw to access personal documents, communications, system logs, or other confidential data that typically remains protected by the operating system's security model. The vulnerability could be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may have elevated privileges or access to sensitive corporate data. This issue directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1059, which involves executing malicious code through legitimate system processes, and T1070, which involves bypassing security controls to access sensitive data.
Organizations and users should immediately update to macOS Sonoma 14 to address this vulnerability, as the fix implements additional restrictions that properly enforce access controls and prevent unauthorized data access. System administrators should conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potentially compromised systems or applications that may have exploited this vulnerability prior to the patch release. The mitigation strategy should include monitoring for unusual application behavior, implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, and ensuring that all endpoints maintain up-to-date security patches. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to identify similar permission-related issues that could compromise user data integrity and system security.