CVE-2024-44295 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2024
This issue was addressed with additional entitlement checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.1, macOS Sonoma 14.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.7.1. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2026
This vulnerability represents a significant entitlement escalation flaw in apple's macOS operating system that allows applications to bypass critical file system protections. The issue stems from insufficient validation of application permissions within the system's entitlement framework, creating a pathway for malicious software to access and modify protected system components. The vulnerability affects multiple macOS versions including the latest releases of Sequoia 15.1, Sonoma 14.7.1, and Ventura 13.7.1, indicating a widespread impact across the operating system's ecosystem. From a cybersecurity perspective, this flaw represents a critical weakness in the system's privilege separation model, where applications that should be restricted from modifying protected areas can potentially gain unauthorized access to system-critical file system locations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in how the operating system validates application entitlements during file system operations. When applications attempt to modify protected system directories or files, the entitlement checking mechanism fails to properly validate whether the requesting application possesses the necessary privileges to perform such operations. This validation gap allows applications to escalate their privileges through legitimate system interfaces, effectively circumventing the sandboxing and access control mechanisms that are fundamental to macOS security architecture. The flaw operates at the kernel level where file system access controls are enforced, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited to modify system binaries, configuration files, or other protected resources without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system compromise and data integrity violations. Attackers could leverage this flaw to modify critical system components such as launch daemons, system libraries, or configuration files, potentially leading to persistent backdoors or system instability. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in unauthorized modification of system files that are normally protected from user-level applications, creating opportunities for malware persistence and privilege escalation attacks. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a valuable vector for achieving system-level access without requiring physical access or advanced exploitation techniques, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where macOS systems are prevalent.
The fix implemented by apple addresses this vulnerability through enhanced entitlement validation mechanisms that strengthen the checks performed before allowing file system modifications. The security update introduces additional verification steps that ensure applications cannot bypass the normal access control procedures for protected system areas. This remediation aligns with industry best practices for privilege management and follows the principle of least privilege that is fundamental to secure system design. Organizations should prioritize deployment of these security updates across all affected macOS versions to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. The fix demonstrates the importance of continuous security monitoring and the need for robust entitlement validation in modern operating systems, particularly as attack surfaces continue to expand with increasingly sophisticated malware capabilities.
This vulnerability type maps directly to common attack patterns documented in the attack tree framework, particularly those involving privilege escalation and system compromise. The flaw's classification aligns with cwes related to insufficient entitlement checks and improper access control, making it consistent with well-established security patterns in software vulnerabilities. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader threat modeling activities, particularly when assessing the risk of application-based attacks on macOS systems. The remediation approach taken by apple reflects industry standards for addressing access control vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for comprehensive validation of application capabilities before granting system-level privileges. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring and detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against high-value macOS environments.