CVE-2024-44291
macOS vulnerability analysis and mitigation

Overview

CVE-2024-44291 is a logic issue vulnerability discovered in Apple's macOS operating system. The vulnerability was disclosed and patched on December 11, 2024, affecting multiple versions of macOS including Sequoia 15.2, Ventura 13.7.2, and Sonoma 14.7.2. The issue was identified by security researcher Arsenii Kostromin (0x3c3e) (Apple Advisory, CVE Details).

Technical details

The vulnerability stems from a logic issue in the file handling mechanism of macOS. The issue was present in the Software Update component of the operating system. Apple addressed this vulnerability by improving file handling procedures. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH) with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating local access requirements but high impact potential (NVD).

Impact

If exploited, this vulnerability allows a malicious application to gain root privileges on the affected system. This level of access would give an attacker complete control over the system, potentially allowing them to access, modify, or delete any file, install additional malware, or perform any action with administrative privileges (Apple Advisory).

Mitigation and workarounds

Apple has released security updates to address this vulnerability in macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Ventura 13.7.2, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.2. Users are strongly advised to update their systems to these versions or later to protect against potential exploitation (Apple Advisory, Apple Advisory, Apple Advisory).

Additional resources


SourceThis report was generated using AI

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