CVE-2024-44149 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/17/2024
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15. An app may be able to access protected user data.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical permissions flaw in macOS Sequoia 15 that allows applications to potentially access protected user data without proper authorization. The issue stems from insufficient access controls that fail to properly enforce the principle of least privilege for application sandboxing mechanisms. From a cybersecurity perspective, this weakness creates an elevated risk vector where malicious or poorly designed applications could exploit the permission gap to read sensitive user information. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control and improper privileges in software systems. Attackers could leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to personal data, including but not limited to documents, communications, and system configuration information. The implications extend beyond simple data theft to potential reconnaissance activities that could enable more sophisticated attacks. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where macOS devices handle sensitive corporate data and user credentials.
The technical implementation of this permissions issue likely involves a flaw in the macOS security framework where application entitlements or access controls are not properly validated during runtime operations. The vulnerability may manifest through improper handling of inter-process communication channels or insufficient validation of application requests for system resources. From an attack perspective, this flaw maps to several techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1074 for data staging, as attackers could potentially use this access to exfiltrate information. The issue affects the fundamental security model of macOS where applications are expected to operate within strict sandbox boundaries. The fix implemented in macOS Sequoia 15 involves strengthening the access control mechanisms and adding additional validation checks to ensure that applications cannot access protected resources without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple threat scenarios including both malicious exploitation and accidental data exposure. Organizations may experience data breaches where unauthorized applications gain access to user information, potentially leading to privacy violations and compliance issues under regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA. The vulnerability could also enable advanced persistent threats where attackers maintain long-term access to user systems through the exploitation of these permission gaps. System administrators face increased risk management challenges as this type of vulnerability requires constant monitoring and updating of security policies. The remediation process involves deploying the macOS Sequoia 15 update across all affected systems, which requires careful planning to ensure that existing applications continue to function properly while gaining the enhanced security protections. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts and consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting to further reduce the attack surface.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate deployment of the macOS Sequoia 15 update while maintaining comprehensive monitoring of system access patterns. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify applications that may be affected by the permission changes and ensure proper application testing before deployment. The implementation of network-based monitoring solutions can help detect suspicious access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also review their existing security policies to ensure proper enforcement of access control measures and consider implementing additional layers of protection such as endpoint detection and response solutions. Regular security audits should verify that the updated permissions model is functioning correctly and that no unauthorized access paths remain available. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust application management practices to prevent exploitation of similar permission-related issues in the future.