CVE-2024-23238: An app may be able to edit NVRAM variables in Apple macOS
CVE-2024-23238 is a vulnerability in Apple macOS that allowed an app to edit NVRAM variables due to insufficient access restrictions. This issue was addressed and fixed in macOS Sonoma 14. 4 by improving access controls. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7. 1, indicating high severity, and could impact confidentiality and integrity without requiring privileges but needing user interaction. Apple has released an official patch as part of macOS Sonoma 14. 4 to remediate this issue.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-23238 involves an access control weakness in macOS that permitted an application to modify NVRAM variables. This could potentially allow unauthorized changes to system-level settings stored in NVRAM. Apple resolved this issue by enhancing access restrictions in the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update. The CVSS v3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N) indicates that the attack requires local access and user interaction but no privileges, and successful exploitation could lead to high impact on confidentiality and integrity without affecting availability.
Potential Impact
An unprivileged app with user interaction could exploit this vulnerability to modify NVRAM variables, potentially compromising system integrity and confidentiality. This could allow unauthorized changes to system configuration parameters stored in NVRAM, which may affect system behavior or security posture. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Apple has provided an official fix for this vulnerability in macOS Sonoma 14.4. Users and administrators should update affected systems to macOS Sonoma 14.4 or later to remediate this issue. No additional mitigation steps are required beyond applying the official update.
CVE-2024-23238: An app may be able to edit NVRAM variables in Apple macOS
Description
CVE-2024-23238 is a vulnerability in Apple macOS that allowed an app to edit NVRAM variables due to insufficient access restrictions. This issue was addressed and fixed in macOS Sonoma 14. 4 by improving access controls. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7. 1, indicating high severity, and could impact confidentiality and integrity without requiring privileges but needing user interaction. Apple has released an official patch as part of macOS Sonoma 14. 4 to remediate this issue.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-23238 involves an access control weakness in macOS that permitted an application to modify NVRAM variables. This could potentially allow unauthorized changes to system-level settings stored in NVRAM. Apple resolved this issue by enhancing access restrictions in the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update. The CVSS v3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N) indicates that the attack requires local access and user interaction but no privileges, and successful exploitation could lead to high impact on confidentiality and integrity without affecting availability.
Potential Impact
An unprivileged app with user interaction could exploit this vulnerability to modify NVRAM variables, potentially compromising system integrity and confidentiality. This could allow unauthorized changes to system configuration parameters stored in NVRAM, which may affect system behavior or security posture. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Apple has provided an official fix for this vulnerability in macOS Sonoma 14.4. Users and administrators should update affected systems to macOS Sonoma 14.4 or later to remediate this issue. No additional mitigation steps are required beyond applying the official update.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- apple
- Date Reserved
- 2024-01-12T22:22:21.480Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 690a47506d939959c8022683
Added to database: 11/4/2025, 6:34:56 PM
Last enriched: 4/9/2026, 11:01:53 PM
Last updated: 5/9/2026, 8:55:29 AM
Views: 59
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