CVE-2024-44182 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/17/2024
This issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7, macOS Ventura 13.7. An app may be able to access sensitive data logged when a shortcut fails to launch another app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2026
This vulnerability represents a sensitive data exposure issue that emerged from inadequate redaction mechanisms within macOS logging systems. The flaw specifically affected versions of macOS prior to the security updates released in macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7, and macOS Ventura 13.7. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of log entries that occur when automated shortcuts attempt to launch other applications but encounter failures. When such launch attempts fail, the system generates log entries containing potentially sensitive information that should have been redacted but was instead accessible to unauthorized applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-532, which addresses information exposure through log files, and CWE-200, which covers information exposure to unintended audiences. The flaw operates at the application layer where logging mechanisms fail to properly sanitize output data before storing it in system logs. Attackers could potentially exploit this by running malicious applications that monitor system logs for sensitive information that was not properly redacted during the logging process. This represents a classic case of insufficient output filtering where system-generated logs contain sensitive data elements that should have been stripped out before logging.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. When shortcuts fail to launch applications, the system logs may contain information such as application paths, user identifiers, or other contextual data that could be leveraged for further exploitation. This could allow attackers to gain insights into the system's application environment, user behavior patterns, or potentially identify other vulnerabilities through the information contained in these logs. The issue particularly affects automated workflows and system integration scenarios where shortcuts are frequently used to launch applications programmatically.
The mitigation strategy implemented by Apple addresses this through improved redaction mechanisms that ensure sensitive data is properly sanitized before logging occurs. This fix aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1562.006, which covers "Impair Command History Logging", and represents a preventive approach to information disclosure. Organizations should immediately deploy the security updates for macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7, and macOS Ventura 13.7 to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also conduct audits of existing log files to identify any potential exposure from before the fix was applied, and consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual log access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The fix demonstrates proper security engineering practices by addressing the root cause through improved data sanitization rather than attempting to restrict access after the fact.