CVE-2024-54519 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
The issue was resolved by sanitizing logging. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2. An app may be able to read sensitive location information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw in apple's operating systems that allows malicious applications to potentially access sensitive location data through improper logging mechanisms. The issue was specifically addressed in macos sequoia 15.2 and macos sonoma 14.7.2 releases, indicating the severity of the exposure and the need for immediate remediation. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the system's logging infrastructure, creating an avenue for unauthorized data access that could compromise user privacy and location security.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the failure to properly sanitize log output that may contain sensitive location information. When applications generate logs containing location data, the system should ensure that such information is either stripped, encrypted, or otherwise protected from unauthorized access. This vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and CWE-312, which deals with exposure of sensitive information through log files. The flaw essentially creates a pathway where malicious actors could exploit poorly sanitized logging mechanisms to extract location-based data that should remain protected.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it represents a fundamental breach in the security model of apple's operating systems. Sensitive location information could be accessed by any application with sufficient privileges to read system logs, potentially enabling tracking of user movements, identification of home addresses, workplace locations, and other personally identifiable information. This exposure directly violates privacy principles and could enable various forms of surveillance, stalking, or targeted attacks against individuals. The vulnerability's presence in multiple macos versions demonstrates the widespread nature of the issue and the potential for extensive impact across different user bases.
Security professionals should implement comprehensive monitoring and patch management strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The recommended mitigation includes immediate deployment of macos sequoia 15.2 and macos sonoma 14.7.2 updates across all affected systems. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough log review processes to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement enhanced logging policies that ensure sensitive data is never written to accessible log files. From an att&ck framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and collection, as the exposure of location data could enable further attacks through social engineering or targeted exploitation. The remediation process should also include security awareness training for developers to ensure proper handling of sensitive information in logging mechanisms and adherence to secure coding practices that prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future applications.