VulnerabilityPublished 28 Oct 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-44261: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An attacker may be able to view restricted content from the lock screen

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.2 Medium · fixed in 17.7.1 : update Apple iOS and iPadOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.2Medium

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 14% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 17.7.1

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

Attack Vector: Local
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: 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: 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 28 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 iOS and iPadOS	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2024-44261, organizations and users should promptly update all affected Apple devices to iOS 17.7.1, iPadOS 17.7.1, or later versions including iOS/iPadOS 18.1 and above where the vulnerability is fixed. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict physical security controls to limit unauthorized local access to devices. Implementing device management policies that disable lock screen features which expose sensitive content (such as notifications previews, control center access, or widgets) can reduce exposure risk. Educating users about the importance of not leaving devices unattended and using strong passcodes or biometric locks further reduces the attack surface. For high-security environments, consider additional endpoint protection solutions that monitor for suspicious local access attempts. Regular audits of device configurations and lock screen settings should be conducted to ensure compliance with security policies. Finally, organizations should monitor for any emerging exploit reports and be prepared to respond rapidly.

Description

This issue was addressed by restricting options offered on a locked device. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.7.1 and iPadOS 17.7.1, iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1. An attacker may be able to view restricted content from the lock screen.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-44261 is a breach of confidentiality, as attackers with local access can view sensitive or restricted content without unlocking the device. This can lead to exposure of personal data, corporate information, or other confidential material stored or accessible via the lock screen. For organizations, this vulnerability could result in data leakage, privacy violations, and potential compliance issues, especially in sectors handling sensitive information such as finance, healthcare, government, and defense. Since the attack requires local access but no authentication or user interaction, it is particularly concerning in scenarios where devices are lost, stolen, or temporarily unattended. Although it does not allow modification or disruption of device functionality, the exposure of sensitive information alone can have significant reputational and operational consequences. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop techniques to leverage this vulnerability.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 00:05 UTC

Technical details

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