CVE-2008-3438
Apple Mac OS X does not properly verify the authenticity of updates, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to execute arbitrary code via a Trojan horse update, as demonstrated by evilgrade and DNS cache poisoning.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.83%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
Apple Mac OS X does not properly verify the authenticity of updates, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to execute arbitrary code via a Trojan horse update, as demonstrated by evilgrade and DNS cache poisoning.
- CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 0.83% probability · 57th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-494
- Affected
- apple/mac os x
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 0.8% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2008-07/0250.htmlBroken Link
- http://www.infobyte.com.ar/down/Francisco%20Amato%20-%20evilgrade%20-%20ENG.pdfBroken Link
- http://www.infobyte.com.ar/down/isr-evilgrade-1.0.0.tar.gzBroken Link
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2008-07/0250.htmlBroken Link
- http://www.infobyte.com.ar/down/Francisco%20Amato%20-%20evilgrade%20-%20ENG.pdfBroken Link
- http://www.infobyte.com.ar/down/isr-evilgrade-1.0.0.tar.gzBroken Link
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.