CVE-2024-44128VulnerabilityPublished 16 Sep 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-44128: Apple macOS · An Automator Quick Action workflow may be able to bypass Gatekeeper

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 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 13% 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 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-2024-44128, organizations should prioritize updating all affected macOS systems to versions macOS Sequoia 15, Sonoma 14.7, or Ventura 13.7 where the vulnerability is patched. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict endpoint security policies including limiting local user privileges to the minimum necessary, monitoring and restricting the creation and execution of Automator workflows, and employing application whitelisting solutions that can detect or block unauthorized automation scripts. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools should be configured to alert on unusual Automator activity or attempts to bypass Gatekeeper. Additionally, user education about the risks of running untrusted workflows and regular audits of installed Automator actions can reduce the attack surface. Network segmentation and limiting physical or remote access to macOS devices can further reduce the risk of local exploitation. Finally, organizations should maintain robust logging and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts early.

Description

This issue was addressed by adding an additional prompt for user consent. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7, macOS Ventura 13.7. An Automator Quick Action workflow may be able to bypass Gatekeeper.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-44128 is on the integrity of affected macOS systems. By bypassing Gatekeeper, an attacker with local access and limited privileges can execute Automator workflows that may perform unauthorized actions, potentially leading to malicious code execution or modification of system or user data. While confidentiality and availability are not directly impacted, the ability to run unauthorized code can facilitate further attacks such as persistence mechanisms or lateral movement within an organization. This vulnerability reduces the effectiveness of macOS's built-in security controls, increasing the risk of compromise on endpoints. Organizations relying on macOS devices, especially those with sensitive data or critical workflows, may face increased risk of insider threats or malware infections exploiting this bypass. The lack of required user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation once local access is obtained, making it a concern for environments where endpoint security is critical.

CWE-841Improper Enforcement of Behavioral Workflow (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessOWASP Top 10 A06:2025: Insecure Design (opens in a new tab)
The product supports a session in which more than one behavior must be performed by an actor, but it does not properly ensure that the actor performs the behaviors in the required sequence.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Secure Design Principles (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V11.1.1 (opens in a new tab)
V11.1.5 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 2 Apr 2026, 23:43 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-841

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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