CVE-2024-40824 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2024
This issue was addressed through improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6, macOS Sonoma 14.6, tvOS 17.6, watchOS 10.6. An app may be able to bypass Privacy preferences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2026
This vulnerability represents a privacy escalation flaw that emerged in Apple's operating systems, specifically affecting versions prior to the mentioned security updates. The issue stems from inadequate state management within the privacy preference subsystem, creating a potential pathway for malicious applications to circumvent intended security controls. The vulnerability allows an app to bypass established privacy preferences that should normally restrict access to sensitive user data or system functionalities. This represents a significant concern in the context of modern mobile and desktop security models where user privacy controls serve as fundamental barriers against unauthorized data access and system exploitation.
The technical root cause of CVE-2024-40824 lies in the improper handling of application state transitions within Apple's privacy framework. When applications transition between different operational states or when privacy preferences are modified, the system should maintain consistent enforcement of access controls. However, flawed state management logic creates temporal windows where privacy restrictions can be temporarily bypassed or incorrectly evaluated. This issue aligns with CWE-691, which addresses insufficient control flow management in security-critical systems. The vulnerability manifests when the operating system fails to properly validate or enforce privacy restrictions during state transitions, allowing applications to exploit these gaps in the access control enforcement mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. An attacker could leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to user data, location information, or other sensitive system resources that should normally be restricted. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, indicating a systemic issue within the privacy preference implementation across the entire Apple ecosystem. This cross-platform nature suggests that the underlying state management issue exists within shared frameworks or core privacy components that are utilized across different device types. The potential for abuse increases when considering that this vulnerability could be exploited by malicious applications that have already gained some level of system access or user trust.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1552.006, which covers "Unsecured Credentials" and represents how applications can bypass system protections to access sensitive data. The fix implemented by Apple through improved state management addresses the core issue by ensuring that privacy preference enforcement remains consistent throughout application lifecycle events. This remediation involves strengthening the validation mechanisms that occur during state transitions, ensuring that privacy controls are properly enforced regardless of application state changes. The update also reinforces the principle of least privilege by ensuring that applications cannot exploit temporal gaps in access control enforcement. Organizations and users should prioritize updating to the affected versions mentioned in the advisory, as these patches address the fundamental state management flaw that allowed privacy preference bypasses. The mitigation strategy focuses on maintaining consistent security controls across all system states and transitions, which aligns with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and other cybersecurity frameworks that emphasize continuous monitoring and enforcement of access controls.