CVE-2024-54559 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 03/17/2025
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.2. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-54559 represents a significant security flaw in macOS Sequoia 15.2 that allows applications to potentially access sensitive user data through inadequate access controls. This issue manifests as a privilege escalation or information disclosure vulnerability that could enable malicious applications to bypass normal security boundaries and obtain unauthorized access to user information. The vulnerability was addressed through enhanced validation mechanisms and improved access control checks within the operating system's security framework.
The technical flaw underlying CVE-2024-54559 appears to stem from insufficient validation of application permissions and data access controls within the macOS security model. This weakness likely exists in the kernel-level or system framework components that manage inter-process communication and data isolation. The vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious applications that attempt to access protected user data or through privilege escalation techniques that leverage the flawed access control mechanisms. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284: Improper Access Control, which encompasses issues where systems fail to properly enforce access restrictions on resources and data.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-54559 extends beyond simple data exposure, potentially enabling broader system compromise and user privacy violations. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to access sensitive information including personal documents, communications, authentication credentials, and other confidential user data stored on affected systems. The implications are particularly concerning in enterprise environments where macOS devices may host sensitive corporate information, as this vulnerability could facilitate unauthorized data exfiltration or lateral movement within networks. This type of vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1074.001: Data Staged, where adversaries stage data for exfiltration by accessing sensitive files and user data.
Security professionals should prioritize patching affected systems with macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates that contain the remediation for CVE-2024-54559. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any applications that might be exploiting this weakness or that could potentially be leveraged by attackers. The remediation implemented by Apple involves strengthening access control mechanisms and improving validation checks that prevent unauthorized applications from accessing sensitive user data. Additional mitigations include implementing strict application sandboxing policies, monitoring for unusual data access patterns, and maintaining updated security configurations to minimize the attack surface. System administrators should also consider deploying endpoint detection and response solutions to monitor for potential exploitation attempts and maintain audit logs of data access activities to detect any unauthorized access to sensitive user information.