CVE-2024-40866VulnerabilityPublished 16 Sep 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-40866: Apple Safari · Visiting a malicious website may lead to address bar spoofing

Affects Apple SafariSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 Medium.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.5Medium

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

EPSS: 0.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 60% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: High
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: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
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 2026-10-25.

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 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 Safari	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations and users should promptly update Safari to version 18 or later and upgrade macOS to Sequoia 15 or newer where applicable. Beyond patching, organizations should implement user awareness training focused on recognizing phishing attempts and suspicious URLs, emphasizing caution even when the address bar appears normal. Deploying web filtering solutions that block access to known malicious sites can reduce exposure. Security teams should monitor for phishing campaigns targeting Safari users and consider multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of credential theft. Additionally, organizations can leverage endpoint protection platforms that detect and block social engineering payloads. For enterprises managing macOS devices, enforcing update policies and using Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to ensure timely patch deployment is critical. Finally, consider using browser extensions or security tools that provide enhanced URL verification or warnings for suspicious sites.

Description

The issue was addressed with improved UI. This issue is fixed in Safari 18, macOS Sequoia 15. Visiting a malicious website may lead to address bar spoofing.

Impact

The primary impact of this vulnerability is on the integrity of the browser's user interface, specifically the address bar, which is a critical security indicator for users. Spoofing the address bar can lead to successful phishing attacks by convincing users they are on a trusted website, potentially resulting in credential theft, fraud, or malware installation. Organizations relying on Safari for web access, especially those in sectors with high phishing risks such as finance, healthcare, and government, may face increased risk of targeted social engineering attacks. Although the vulnerability does not directly compromise data confidentiality or system availability, the indirect consequences of successful phishing can be severe, including data breaches and financial loss. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits following public disclosure. The requirement for user interaction limits automated exploitation but does not prevent widespread impact given the popularity of Safari on macOS and iOS devices.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 2 Apr 2026, 23:41 UTC

Technical details

References

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