VulnerabilityPublished 16 Sep 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-44149: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access protected user data

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: 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 45% 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

Upgrade all macOS systems to macOS Sequoia 15 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed with additional permission restrictions.
Implement strict application whitelisting and vetting processes to prevent installation of untrusted or malicious apps that could exploit this vulnerability.
Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for unusual app behaviors, particularly apps accessing protected user data without legitimate reasons.
Educate users about the risks of installing apps from unverified sources and encourage the use of the Mac App Store or trusted vendors.
Employ data loss prevention (DLP) solutions to detect and block unauthorized data access or exfiltration attempts.
Regularly audit app permissions and system logs to identify potential exploitation attempts.
Maintain a robust patch management process to ensure timely deployment of security updates from Apple.
For organizations with sensitive data, consider additional encryption of user data at rest to minimize exposure in case of unauthorized access.

Description

A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15. An app may be able to access protected user data.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-44149 is the unauthorized disclosure of protected user data, compromising user privacy and potentially exposing sensitive information such as personal files, credentials, or other confidential data stored on macOS devices. Since exploitation does not require privileges or user interaction, any malicious or compromised app could silently access this data, increasing the risk of data breaches. For organizations, this could lead to leakage of intellectual property, customer data, or internal communications, resulting in reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and financial loss. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, so it does not directly enable system compromise or denial of service. However, the confidentiality breach alone is significant, especially for sectors handling sensitive information such as finance, healthcare, and government. The lack of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive patching and mitigation before widespread abuse occurs.

CWE-281Improper Preservation of Permissions (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product does not preserve permissions or incorrectly preserves permissions when copying, restoring, or sharing objects, which can cause them to have less restrictive permissions than intended.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.8 (opens in a new tab)
V13.4.2 (opens in a new tab)
V7.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 2 Apr 2026, 23:46 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-281

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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