CVE-2024-44211VulnerabilityPublished 20 Dec 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-44211: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access user-sensitive data

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High · fixed in 15.1 : patch Apple macOS soon.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

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

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 35% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 15.1

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 20 Dec 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 macOS	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2024-44211, organizations and individual users should promptly update all affected macOS systems to version Sequoia 15.1 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Beyond patching, administrators should audit installed applications and remove or restrict untrusted or unnecessary software that could exploit symlink weaknesses. Employing endpoint security solutions that monitor filesystem access patterns and detect anomalous symlink usage can provide additional defense layers. Organizations should enforce strict application whitelisting and sandboxing policies to limit app capabilities and reduce the attack surface. Regularly backing up sensitive data and implementing robust access controls on user files can minimize damage if exploitation occurs. Security teams should also monitor threat intelligence sources for any emerging exploits targeting this vulnerability to respond rapidly. Finally, educating users about the risks of installing unverified applications can help prevent exploitation attempts.

Description

This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.1. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-44211 is the unauthorized disclosure of user-sensitive data on affected macOS systems. Since the vulnerability allows an unprivileged app to bypass normal access controls via symlink manipulation, attackers could potentially harvest confidential information such as personal files, credentials, or other sensitive data stored on the device. This breach of confidentiality could lead to privacy violations, identity theft, or corporate espionage. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, so it does not enable data modification or denial of service. However, the ease of exploitation without requiring privileges or user interaction significantly raises the risk profile. Organizations worldwide that use macOS devices, especially in sectors handling sensitive or regulated data (e.g., finance, healthcare, government), face increased exposure until patched. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact, but the vulnerability’s characteristics make it a likely target for future attacks.

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, 23:57 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-281

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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