VulnerabilityPublished 16 Sep 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-40848: Apple macOS · An attacker may be able to read sensitive information

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 53% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Sep 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apple macOS	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2024-40848, organizations should immediately apply the security updates released by Apple for macOS Sequoia 15, Sonoma 14.7, and Ventura 13.7 or later. Ensure all macOS devices are updated to these patched versions to enforce the strengthened code-signing restrictions. Additionally, implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure of macOS systems to untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring unusual access patterns or unauthorized attempts to read sensitive data. Regularly audit and enforce strict code-signing policies and verify the integrity of critical system components. Educate users and administrators about the importance of timely patching and monitoring for suspicious activity. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, consider temporary network isolation of vulnerable macOS devices. Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly address any potential data breaches resulting from exploitation attempts.

Description

A downgrade issue was addressed with additional code-signing restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7, macOS Ventura 13.7. An attacker may be able to read sensitive information.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-40848 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information on affected macOS systems. Since the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, attackers could leverage this flaw to access confidential data, potentially including credentials, personal information, or proprietary business data. This could lead to privacy violations, intellectual property theft, or further targeted attacks using harvested information. The lack of impact on integrity and availability means the system’s operation and data modification are not directly compromised, but the confidentiality breach alone can have severe consequences. Organizations relying on macOS for critical infrastructure, development, or secure communications are at risk of data leakage. The vulnerability’s network accessibility broadens the attack surface, especially in environments with exposed macOS devices or weak network segmentation. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the high severity score and ease of exploitation necessitate immediate remediation to prevent potential exploitation and data breaches.

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 2 Apr 2026, 23:38 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats