CVE-2024-40823 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2024
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.7.6, macOS Sonoma 14.6, macOS Ventura 13.6.8. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-40823 represents a security flaw in Apple's macOS operating system that could potentially allow unauthorized access to user-sensitive data. This issue was particularly concerning as it affected multiple versions of the macOS ecosystem including Monterey 12.7.6, Sonoma 14.6, and Ventura 13.6.8, indicating a widespread impact across Apple's desktop and laptop operating system versions. The vulnerability was addressed through enhanced validation mechanisms and improved access controls that were implemented in the respective security updates. The flaw was categorized under the broader context of information disclosure vulnerabilities, which fall under CWE-200 - Information Exposure, where sensitive data may be accessible to unauthorized parties.
The technical nature of this vulnerability suggests that it likely involved insufficient validation of access permissions or inadequate sandboxing mechanisms that allowed applications to bypass normal security boundaries. This type of flaw typically occurs when the operating system fails to properly enforce access controls between different applications or between applications and system resources. The issue may have been related to improper handling of inter-process communication or insufficient validation of privilege levels when applications attempt to access user data. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability would be classified under T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter or potentially T1566 - Phishing, as it could enable malicious applications to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user information through legitimate application interfaces.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-40823 is significant for macOS users who may have been unknowingly exposed to potential data breaches. The vulnerability could have allowed malicious applications to access personal information, documents, or other sensitive data that should have been protected by the operating system's security model. This represents a serious threat to user privacy and could potentially lead to identity theft, financial fraud, or other malicious activities. The fact that this issue affected multiple macOS versions suggests that it was a fundamental flaw in the operating system's security architecture rather than a specific application vulnerability. Organizations and individuals who rely on macOS for sensitive data processing would have been particularly vulnerable to this type of information disclosure attack.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability involved updating to the patched versions of macOS as specified in the security advisory. Apple's release of macOS Monterey 12.7.6, macOS Sonoma 14.6, and macOS Ventura 13.6.8 contained the necessary security patches to address the access control issues that were exploited. System administrators and users were advised to immediately install these updates to protect their systems from potential exploitation. The remediation process involved standard operating system update procedures, but given the nature of the vulnerability, organizations should have conducted thorough risk assessments to determine if their systems had been compromised before applying the patches. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security updates and demonstrates how even seemingly minor access control flaws can have significant implications for user privacy and data protection. The fix implemented by Apple likely involved strengthening the kernel-level access controls and improving the validation mechanisms that govern how applications can access user data, thereby preventing unauthorized information disclosure through application interfaces.