VulnerabilityPublished 28 Oct 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-44295: Apple macOS · An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.7 High · fixed in 15.1 : patch Apple macOS soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 09:15 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.7High

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 15.1

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

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
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: 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: 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 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 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-2024-44295, organizations and users should promptly apply the security updates released by Apple in macOS Sequoia 15.1, Sonoma 14.7.1, and Ventura 13.7.1. Beyond patching, administrators should audit installed applications for unusual entitlement requests or behaviors that could indicate attempts to exploit entitlement weaknesses. Restricting app installation to trusted sources such as the Apple App Store or enterprise-signed applications reduces risk. Employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor file system changes in protected directories can help detect exploitation attempts. Implementing strict access controls and least privilege principles for local users further limits the potential for exploitation. Regularly reviewing system logs and employing integrity monitoring tools can provide early warning of unauthorized modifications. Finally, educating users about the risks of installing untrusted software and maintaining robust backup strategies ensures resilience against potential compromise.

Description

This issue was addressed with additional entitlement checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.1, macOS Sonoma 14.7.1, macOS Ventura 13.7.1. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-44295 is the unauthorized modification of protected system files and directories, which can severely compromise system integrity and confidentiality. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could alter system binaries, configuration files, or security settings, enabling privilege escalation, persistence mechanisms, or disabling security controls. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of persistent malware, or disruption of system security policies. Since no user interaction or privileges are required, the attack surface is broad for any local user or malicious app. Organizations relying on macOS for critical operations, especially in sectors like government, finance, healthcare, and technology, face risks of data breaches, operational disruption, and loss of trust. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact, but the vulnerability's nature makes it a prime target for attackers once exploit code becomes available.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 00:12 UTC

Technical details

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