CVE-2024-40828 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. A malicious app may be able to gain root privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw in apple's macos operating system that allows a malicious application to potentially attain root privileges. The issue was specifically addressed through enhanced validation mechanisms and improved access controls within the system's security architecture. The vulnerability affects multiple macos versions including monterey 12.7.6, sonoma 14.6, and ventura 13.6.8, indicating a widespread impact across apple's operating system ecosystem. The flaw exists in the underlying system checks that govern privilege separation and access control mechanisms, creating a pathway for unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges. This represents a significant concern for system security as root access provides complete control over the operating system and all user data. The vulnerability demonstrates a weakness in apple's privilege management system where proper validation of application permissions and system access controls may have been insufficient. The issue aligns with common security patterns identified in cwe 269 privilege escalation vulnerabilities and could potentially map to attack techniques described in the attack framework under privilege escalation and persistence tactics.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability likely involves a flaw in the operating system's kernel or system-level processes that handle privilege validation. The enhanced checks introduced in the patched versions suggest that the original implementation had insufficient validation of application integrity or user permissions. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious applications that take advantage of the weakened access controls to escalate their privileges from standard user level to root level. The fix implemented by apple demonstrates proper security hardening through additional verification steps that ensure proper privilege boundaries are maintained. This vulnerability type falls under the category of kernel-level privilege escalation where malicious code can bypass normal security restrictions that separate user applications from system-level operations. The remediation approach focuses on strengthening the validation processes that occur during application execution and system access requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially affect entire enterprise environments where macos systems are deployed. Organizations running affected macos versions face increased risk of complete system takeover by adversaries who can leverage this privilege escalation to install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or disrupt critical operations. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious email attachments, compromised software downloads, or social engineering campaigns. Security teams must urgently assess their macos environments for systems running vulnerable versions and implement immediate patching strategies. The affected versions represent a broad range of apple's operating system releases, indicating that organizations across different macos generations may be at risk. This vulnerability type poses significant challenges for incident response teams as root-level access allows attackers to cover their tracks and maintain long-term system presence.
Organizations should implement immediate patch management strategies to upgrade affected systems to the patched versions of macos monterey 12.7.6, sonoma 14.6, or ventura 13.6.8. The patching process should include thorough testing in controlled environments before deployment to production systems. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected macos systems within their infrastructure and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure. Additional defensive measures should include enhanced monitoring of system access logs and implementation of application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unauthorized code. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates how even well-established operating systems can contain critical security flaws. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual privilege escalation attempts and anomalous system behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security audits of macos systems should include verification of proper patch levels and assessment of privilege management configurations to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.