CVE-2024-40783 is a vulnerability in Apple macOS that allows a malicious application to bypass the system's Privacy preferences, which are designed to restrict application access to sensitive user data and system resources. The root cause is insufficient enforcement of data container access restrictions, which means that an attacker can circumvent intended privacy controls. This vulnerability affects multiple macOS versions prior to the patched releases: Sonoma 14.6, Monterey 12.7.6, and Ventura 13.6.8. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.1 reflects a high-severity issue with local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), but the impact on confidentiality and integrity is high (C:H/I:H), while availability is not affected (A:N). Exploiting this vulnerability allows an attacker to access or manipulate data that should be protected by privacy settings, potentially leading to unauthorized data disclosure or modification. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability represents a significant risk due to the sensitive nature of data protected by macOS privacy controls. The issue is categorized under CWE-285 (Improper Authorization), indicating a failure to properly enforce access controls. Apple addressed this vulnerability by improving restrictions on data container access in the specified macOS updates.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data stored or processed on macOS devices. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government, which often handle personal data protected under GDPR, could face data breaches leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. The ability of a malicious application to bypass privacy preferences means that attackers could access user files, communications, or system resources without proper authorization. This could facilitate espionage, intellectual property theft, or unauthorized data manipulation. Since exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the threat is more relevant in environments where users might be tricked into running malicious applications, such as through phishing or social engineering. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for targeted attacks. Organizations relying on macOS for critical operations must consider this vulnerability a high priority for patching and risk mitigation.

1. Immediately update all macOS devices to the patched versions: Sonoma 14.6, Monterey 12.7.6, or Ventura 13.6.8. 2. Implement strict application whitelisting and restrict installation of untrusted software to reduce the risk of malicious applications executing. 3. Educate users about phishing and social engineering tactics to minimize the chance of running malicious applications requiring user interaction. 4. Regularly audit and monitor privacy preference settings and application permissions to detect anomalies or unauthorized changes. 5. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying suspicious local activity that attempts to bypass privacy controls. 6. Use Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies and ensure timely patch deployment across all macOS endpoints. 7. Limit local user privileges where possible to reduce the impact of potential exploitation. 8. Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from any compromise resulting from exploitation.