VulnerabilityPublished 16 Sep 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-40860: Apple macOS · An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 14% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
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: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to 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

Immediately update all macOS systems to versions Sequoia 15 or Sonoma 14.7 or later, where the vulnerability is patched.
Restrict installation of applications to trusted sources, such as the Apple App Store or verified developers, to reduce the risk of malicious apps exploiting this flaw.
Employ endpoint protection solutions capable of monitoring file system integrity and alerting on unauthorized changes to protected system areas.
Implement strict access controls and least privilege principles to limit the number of users and applications with local execution rights.
Regularly audit system files and configurations for unexpected modifications, using tools like File Integrity Monitoring (FIM).
Educate users about the risks of running untrusted applications and the importance of applying system updates promptly.
Consider deploying macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and ensuring they are enabled and properly configured.
Monitor security advisories from Apple and threat intelligence sources for any emerging exploit activity related to this vulnerability.

Description

A logic issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-40860 is on system integrity, as it allows an application with limited privileges to modify protected file system areas. This could lead to unauthorized changes to critical system files, configurations, or security controls, potentially enabling persistence, privilege escalation, or disruption of security mechanisms. Although confidentiality and availability are not directly affected, the integrity compromise can facilitate further attacks or system instability. For organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to endpoint security, especially in environments with sensitive data or critical operations on macOS devices. Attackers exploiting this flaw could bypass security policies or implant malicious components that are difficult to detect or remove. The requirement for local access and low privileges limits remote exploitation but insider threats or malware with local execution capabilities could leverage this vulnerability. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future exploitation. Overall, the vulnerability could undermine trust in macOS system integrity and complicate incident response and recovery efforts if exploited.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 2 Apr 2026, 23:40 UTC

Technical details

References

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