VulnerabilityPublished 24 Oct 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-44141: Apple macOS · A person with physical access to an unlocked Mac may be able to gain root code execution

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.6 Medium · fixed in 14.6 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.6Medium

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 15% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 14.6

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Physical: The attack requires the attacker to physically touch or manipulate the vulnerable component. Physical interaction may be brief or persistent.
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: 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: 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: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Oct 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-2024-44141, organizations should: 1) Immediately deploy the macOS Sonoma 14.6 update on all vulnerable devices to apply the security fix. 2) Enforce strict physical security policies to prevent unauthorized access to devices, including locking screens when unattended and securing devices in locked rooms or cabinets. 3) Implement endpoint security solutions that can detect and alert on suspicious privilege escalation attempts. 4) Educate users on the importance of locking their Macs when not in use to reduce the attack surface. 5) Consider deploying additional security controls such as FileVault full disk encryption to protect data at rest, limiting the impact if root access is gained. 6) Regularly audit physical access logs and monitor for anomalous behavior on macOS endpoints. These steps go beyond generic patching by emphasizing physical security and user behavior as critical components of defense.

Description

The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.6. A person with physical access to an unlocked Mac may be able to gain root code execution.

Impact

The impact of CVE-2024-44141 is significant for organizations relying on macOS devices, especially in environments where physical access to machines cannot be strictly controlled. An attacker gaining root code execution can fully compromise the system, leading to data theft, installation of persistent malware, disruption of services, and potential lateral movement within networks. Confidential information, including sensitive corporate data and credentials, can be exposed or altered. The availability of the system can also be affected if malicious code disrupts normal operations. Although the attack requires physical access to an unlocked device, this scenario is plausible in many workplaces, public spaces, or shared environments. Organizations with high-value targets or regulatory requirements for data protection may face compliance and reputational risks if such a vulnerability is exploited.

References

support.apple.com/en-us/120911 (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 2 Apr 2026, 23:45 UTC

Technical details

References

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