CVE-2024-23261 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2024
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.7.6, macOS Sonoma 14.4, macOS Ventura 13.6.8. An attacker may be able to read information belonging to another user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical logic flaw in macOS operating systems that enables unauthorized cross-user information disclosure. The issue stems from inadequate state management within the system's user context handling mechanisms, allowing one user to potentially access data belonging to another user account. The vulnerability affects multiple macOS versions including Monterey 12.7.6, Sonoma 14.4, and Ventura 13.6.8, indicating a widespread impact across the operating system ecosystem. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a privilege escalation vector that could enable attackers to perform unauthorized data reconnaissance and information gathering activities. The flaw operates at the system-level state management layer, where proper isolation between user contexts has been compromised, creating a pathway for information leakage that violates fundamental security principles of multi-user operating systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms, and represents a failure in proper user session management and resource isolation. The logic issue manifests when the system fails to maintain adequate boundaries between user sessions, allowing for potential information disclosure through improper state handling. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could leverage the compromised state management to gain access to sensitive data, credentials, or personal information belonging to other users on the same system. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1074.001, which describes data staging through the use of compromised system resources for information collection and exfiltration purposes. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks including credential harvesting and privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on macOS systems, particularly in environments where multiple users share the same physical devices or network resources. System administrators must consider the potential for unauthorized data access across user accounts, which could compromise user privacy and organizational security posture. The vulnerability affects both individual users and enterprise environments, where shared computing resources or multi-user setups could be exploited by malicious actors. Organizations should evaluate their existing security controls and user access management practices to determine if additional protections are needed. The fix implemented in the updated macOS versions addresses the root cause by improving state management protocols and strengthening user context isolation mechanisms. This remediation approach aligns with security best practices for maintaining proper separation between user sessions and preventing unauthorized cross-user access. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust state management in operating system design and demonstrates how seemingly minor logic flaws can create significant security risks in multi-user computing environments.