CVE-2024-54539 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
This issue was addressed through improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.7.2. An app may be able to capture keyboard events from the lock screen.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2026
This vulnerability represents a significant security flaw in apple's operating system design that allows malicious applications to potentially capture keyboard events from the lock screen. The issue stems from inadequate state management within the system's input handling mechanisms, creating a pathway for unauthorized data collection during the device's locked state. The vulnerability specifically affects the interaction between application processes and the system's lock screen interface, where proper security boundaries are not maintained to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive input data.
The technical flaw manifests through improper state management controls that should normally prevent applications from accessing keyboard events when the device is locked. This allows an application to potentially intercept and record keystrokes, including passwords, personal information, and other sensitive data entered while the device remains in a locked state. The vulnerability exists because the operating system fails to properly validate or restrict application access to input events when the device transitions into a secure lock screen state, creating a direct attack vector for credential theft and information gathering.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple keyboard monitoring to encompass potential credential compromise and unauthorized data access. Attackers could leverage this weakness to capture sensitive information entered during the lock screen state, including passwords, PINs, and other authentication factors. This creates a significant risk for users who rely on their devices for sensitive activities, as the security boundary between the unlocked and locked states becomes compromised. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of apple's operating systems, indicating a widespread issue that requires immediate attention and remediation across the platform ecosystem.
Apple addressed this vulnerability through enhanced state management controls that properly enforce security boundaries between different system states. The fix implemented in macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, and macOS Ventura 13.7.2 ensures that applications cannot access keyboard events when the device is locked, thereby maintaining the integrity of the lock screen security model. This remediation aligns with established security practices for protecting sensitive input data and maintaining proper separation between different operational states. The update demonstrates the importance of maintaining strict state management controls in operating system design, particularly when dealing with security-sensitive interfaces.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper input validation and state management in operating system security models. The flaw represents a direct violation of security boundary principles and could potentially be exploited as part of broader attack campaigns targeting user credentials. The remediation approach taken by apple aligns with industry standards for maintaining secure operating system interfaces and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data. Organizations should prioritize updating affected systems to ensure proper state management controls are in place, as this vulnerability could potentially be leveraged in credential harvesting attacks or other malicious activities targeting locked device states.
This vulnerability classification aligns with common weakness enumerations such as cwe-215, which addresses information exposure through improper state management, and relates to attack techniques found in the mitre att&ck framework under credential access and privilege escalation categories. The security implications extend to user privacy and data protection, requiring organizations to implement comprehensive patch management strategies to address this and similar state management vulnerabilities across their device fleets. The resolution demonstrates the ongoing need for robust security controls in operating system design and the importance of maintaining proper separation between different system operational states.