# CVE-2023-42861: Auth bypass in macOS

> An attacker with standard user credentials can bypass screen lock to access another standard user's session on the same Mac.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 13 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gmf5-xh65-wv9w

## What is CVE-2023-42861?

CVE-2023-42861 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Apple Macos, published on 25 Oct 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.1. An attacker with knowledge of a standard user's credentials can unlock another standard user's locked screen on the same Mac.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-42861?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Apple Macos.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-42861?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-42861 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-42861 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-42861 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Macos

- [CVE-2026-65400](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-65400/): Apple macOS Improper Authentication (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-44146](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44146/): Security feature bypass in macOS (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-44148](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44148/): Security feature bypass in macOS (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-38586](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38586/): Security feature bypass in macOS (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-40455](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40455/): Security feature bypass in macOS (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-42861 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-42861 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Apple Macos, published on 25 Oct 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-42861 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apple Macos. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42861/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42861/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-42861
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-42861
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-42861

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42861/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.