On Monday, Apple not only updated macOS Ventura, but the company also released macOS Monterey 12.6.4 and Big Sur 11.7.5, the two operating systems that preceded Ventura. Since Monterey and Big Sur are older, Apple does not update them with features, but releases security updates from time to time. The standard release notes simply state that the update “provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.”
Here are the security update details
macOS Monterey 12.6.4 Security Updates
the following security updates affect macOS Monterey 12.7.4, although several affect both Monterey and Big Sur machines:
Apple Neural Engine
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
- Description: The issue was addressed through improved memory management.
- CVE-2023-23540: Mohamed GHANNAM (@_simo36)
AppleMobileFileIntegrity
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: A user can access protected parts of the file system
- Description: The issue has been resolved through improved checks.
- CVE-2023-23527: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)
Archive Utility
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An archive may be able to bypass Gatekeeper
- Description: The issue has been resolved through improved checks.
- CVE-2023-27951: Brandon Dalton of Red Canary and Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security
Calendar
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: Importing a maliciously crafted calendar invitation may exfiltrate user information
- Description: Several validation issues have been resolved with better input sanitization.
- CVE-2023-27961: Riza Sabuncu (@rizasabuncu)
ColorSync
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to read arbitrary files
- Description: The issue has been resolved through improved checks.
- CVE-2023-27955: JeongOhKye
communication center
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to cause an unexpected system abort or write to kernel memory
- Description: An out-of-bounds write issue has been resolved with better input validation.
- CVE-2023-27936: Tingting Yin of Tsinghua University
daughter
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: A remote user may be able to cause an application to exit unexpectedly or the execution of arbitrary code
- Description: The issue was addressed through improved boundary checks.
- CVE-2023-27935: Aleksandar Nikolic of Cisco Talos
daughter
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: A remote user may be able to cause an unexpected system shutdown or corrupt kernel memory
- Description: The issue was addressed through improved memory management.
- CVE-2023-27953: Aleksandar Nikolic of Cisco Talos
- CVE-2023-27958: Aleksandar Nikolic of Cisco Talos
Foundation
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: Parsing a maliciously crafted plist may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
- Description: An integer overflow was addressed through improved input validation.
- CVE-2023-27937: an anonymous researcher
ImageIO
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
- Description: An out-of-bounds read has been resolved with improved bounds checking.
- CVE-2023-27946: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)
Core
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
- Description: A post-free usage issue has been addressed with better memory management.
- CVE-2023-23514: Xinru Chi from Pangu Lab and Ned Williamson from Google Project Zero
Core
- Available for: macOS Monterey
- Impact: An application with root privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
- Description: The issue was addressed through improved memory management.
- CVE-2023-27933: sqrtpwn
Core
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to leak kernel memory
- Description: A validation issue has been fixed with better input sanitization.
- CVE-2023-28200: Arsenii Kostromin (0x3c3e)
I/O model
- Available for: macOS Monterey
- Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
- Description: An out-of-bounds read has been resolved with better input validation.
- CVE-2023-27949: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)
NetworkExtension
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: A user in a privileged position on the network may be able to spoof a VPN server configured with EAP-only authentication on a device
- Description: The issue was addressed with better authentication.
- CVE-2023-28182: Zhuowei Zhang
PackageKit
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to modify protected parts of the file system
- Description: A logic issue has been resolved with improved checks.
- CVE-2023-23538: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)
- CVE-2023-27962: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)
Podcasts
- Available for: macOS Monterey
- Impact: An application may be able to access sensitive user data
- Description: The issue has been resolved through improved checks.
- CVE-2023-27942: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)
Sandbox
- Available for: macOS Monterey
- Impact: An application may be able to modify protected parts of the file system
- Description: A logic issue has been resolved with improved checks.
- CVE-2023-23533: Mickey Jin (@patch1t), Koh M. Nakagawa of FFRI Security, Inc. and Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security
Sandbox
- Available for: macOS Monterey
- Impact: An app may be able to bypass privacy preferences
- Description: A logic issue has been resolved with improved validation.
- CVE-2023-28178: Yigit Can YILMAZ (@yilmazcanyigit)
Shortcuts
- Available for: macOS Monterey
- Impact: A shortcut may be able to use sensitive data with certain actions without prompting the user
- Description: The issue was addressed with additional permission checks.
- CVE-2023-27963: Jubaer Alnazi Jabin of TRS Group of Companies and Wenchao Li and Xiaolong Bai of Alibaba Group
System Parameters
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to access sensitive user data
- Description: A privacy issue has been addressed with better private data removal for journal entries.
- CVE-2023-23542: an anonymous researcher
System Parameters
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An app may be able to read sensitive location information
- Description: A permissions issue has been resolved with improved validation.
- CVE-2023-28192: Guilherme Rambo from Best Buddy Apps (rambo.codes)
Vigor
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: Multiple issues in Vim
- Description: Several issues have been fixed by updating to Vim version 9.0.1191.
- CVE-2023-0433
- CVE-2023-0512
XPC
- Available for: macOS Monterey/macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to break out of its sandbox
- Description: This problem has been solved by a new right.
- CVE-2023-27944: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)
macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 Security Updates
In addition to the updates above, the following security fixes are strictly for macOS Big Sur 11.7.5:
AppleAVD
- Available for: macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
- Description: A post-free usage issue has been addressed with better memory management.
- CVE-2022-26702: an anonymous researcher, Antonio Zekic (@antoniozekic), and John Aakerblom (@jaakerblom)
carbon core
- Available for: macOS Big Sur
- Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to disclosure of process memory
- Description: The issue has been resolved through improved checks.
- CVE-2023-23534: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)
find my
- Available for: macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An app may be able to read sensitive location information
- Description: A privacy issue has been addressed with better private data removal for journal entries.
- CVE-2023-23537: an anonymous researcher
Identity services
- Available for: macOS Big Sur
- Impact: An application may be able to access a user’s contact information
- Description: A privacy issue has been addressed with better private data removal for journal entries.
- CVE-2023-27928: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of offensive security
ImageIO
- Available for: macOS Big Sur
- Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to disclosure of process memory
- Description: The issue was addressed through improved memory management.
- CVE-2023-23535: ryuzaki
How to update to macOS
Apple recommends that all users install updates as soon as possible. To get them on your machine, follow these instructions:
- Open System Preferences.
- Click on Software update.
- Your Mac will spend about a minute checking for updates, if an update is available for your Mac, you’ll be given the option to click Update now then download the installer for updating to macOS.
- While the installer downloads, you can continue to use your Mac. Once the installer is downloaded, you can click to install the new update.
