# CVE-2023-42938: Privilege escalation in iTunes for Windows

> A local attacker can elevate privileges in iTunes for Windows due to a logic issue, requiring an upgrade to the fixed version.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 28 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-chrr-r69v-42vf

## What is CVE-2023-42938?

CVE-2023-42938 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Itunes, published on 14 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A logic issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iTunes 12.13.1 for Windows. A local attacker may be able to elevate their privileges.

Weakness: CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-42938?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Apple Itunes.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-42938?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-42938 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-42938 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-42938 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Itunes

- [CVE-2010-1763](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-1763/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-1769](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-1769/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2013-1035](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1035/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2012-0677](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-0677/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2011-3219](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-3219/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-42938 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-42938 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Itunes, published on 14 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-42938 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apple Itunes. 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-2023-42938/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42938/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-42938
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-42938
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-42938

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42938/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.