CVE-2023-41902 in MacUpdater
Summary
by MITRE • 09/20/2023
An XPC misconfiguration vulnerability in CoreCode MacUpdater before 2.3.8, and 3.x before 3.1.2, allows attackers to escalate privileges by crafting malicious .pkg files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-41902 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within CoreCode MacUpdater software versions prior to 2.3.8 and 3.x versions before 3.1.2. This issue stems from an improper XPC (Cross-Process Communication) configuration that fundamentally undermines the security boundaries of the application. XPC is a macOS framework designed to facilitate secure communication between processes while maintaining proper privilege separation, yet this misconfiguration allows malicious actors to exploit the communication channel for unauthorized access.
The technical flaw manifests through the manipulation of .pkg installation packages, where attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit the vulnerable XPC service configuration. When the affected MacUpdater application processes these specially crafted packages, the improper XPC setup enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This occurs because the XPC service fails to properly validate incoming requests or enforce appropriate access controls, creating an attack surface where unprivileged users can influence the behavior of privileged processes. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically concerning improper access control in inter-process communication mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold on targeted systems. Once successfully exploited, attackers can leverage the elevated privileges to install additional malicious software, modify system configurations, access sensitive data, or establish backdoors for continued access. The attack vector through .pkg files is particularly concerning because package installation is a common system activity that users may not scrutinize carefully, making this vulnerability exploitable through social engineering or supply chain compromise scenarios. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 Privilege Escalation through the use of legitimate system tools and processes to gain elevated access.
Organizations should immediately update to the patched versions of CoreCode MacUpdater, specifically version 2.3.8 or later for the 2.x series and 3.1.2 or later for the 3.x series. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unusual package installation activities and XPC communication patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper inter-process communication security in macOS applications and serves as a reminder that even seemingly benign update mechanisms can become attack vectors when proper security controls are not implemented. Additional mitigations include implementing application whitelisting policies and restricting package installation permissions to reduce the attack surface available to potential exploiters.