CVE-2024-44175 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/28/2024
This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7.1. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw in apple's macOS operating system that stems from insufficient validation of symbolic links within the file system access controls. The issue specifically affects the way the system handles symlink resolution and validation, creating a potential pathway for unauthorized data access. The vulnerability was identified as part of apple's ongoing security hardening efforts and was addressed through enhanced symlink validation mechanisms in the affected operating system versions.
The technical root cause of CVE-2024-44175 lies in the insufficient sanitization and verification processes applied to symbolic link operations within the macos file system. When applications or processes attempt to resolve symbolic links, the system should enforce strict validation to prevent traversal attacks and unauthorized access to protected directories or files. Without proper validation, malicious actors or compromised applications could potentially exploit this weakness to bypass normal access controls and gain access to sensitive user data that should otherwise remain protected. This flaw aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, and CWE-59, which covers improper handling of symbolic links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it could potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within the macos environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially access user documents, configuration files, system logs, or other sensitive data that would normally be protected by standard file system permissions. The risk is particularly concerning in environments where multiple users share a system or where applications have elevated privileges. This vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain, potentially leading to privilege escalation or further system compromise. The attack pattern aligns with techniques documented in the attack tree framework under tactics such as privilege escalation and credential access.
The fix implemented by apple in macOS Sequoia 15 and macOS Sonoma 14.7.1 addresses the core validation issue by strengthening the symlink resolution process and implementing additional checks during file access operations. These updates ensure that symbolic link targets are properly validated against the intended access controls and that applications cannot bypass normal permission checks through malicious symlink manipulation. System administrators and users should prioritize updating to these patched versions to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The remediation approach follows industry best practices for privilege separation and access control enforcement, aligning with security frameworks that emphasize the importance of input validation and proper access control mechanisms. Organizations should conduct thorough testing of their applications to ensure compatibility with the updated validation mechanisms while maintaining security posture against this specific class of vulnerabilities.