CVE-2024-54466 is an authorization vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that allows an encrypted volume to be accessed by a different user without prompting for the password. The root cause is an improper state management issue that fails to enforce correct authorization checks when mounting or accessing encrypted volumes. This flaw effectively bypasses the intended password prompt, permitting unauthorized users to gain access to encrypted data volumes. The vulnerability affects macOS versions prior to Sequoia 15.2, Sonoma 14.7.2, and Ventura 13.7.2, where Apple has implemented fixes to improve state management and authorization enforcement. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, reflecting medium severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity or availability. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-862 (Improper Authorization). There are no known active exploits in the wild, but the potential for unauthorized access to encrypted volumes poses a significant risk to data confidentiality. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust authorization state management in operating system security, especially for protecting encrypted storage. Organizations relying on macOS encrypted volumes should prioritize patching to prevent unauthorized data exposure.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-54466 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data stored on encrypted volumes in affected macOS systems. Attackers who exploit this vulnerability can bypass password prompts and access encrypted data without authentication, compromising confidentiality. This can lead to data breaches involving intellectual property, personal information, or corporate secrets. Since the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, the risk is limited to unauthorized reading of data rather than modification or denial of service. However, the ease of exploitation—requiring no privileges and only user interaction—makes it a significant threat, especially in environments where multiple users share devices or where attackers can induce user interaction remotely. Organizations with high-value encrypted data on macOS systems, including enterprises, government agencies, and research institutions, face increased risk of data leakage. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate urgency but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits once the vulnerability is publicly known. Failure to patch could lead to compliance violations and reputational damage if sensitive data is exposed.

To mitigate CVE-2024-54466, organizations should immediately apply the security updates provided by Apple in macOS Sequoia 15.2, Sonoma 14.7.2, and Ventura 13.7.2 or later versions. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict access controls on macOS devices, limiting physical and network access to trusted users only. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for unusual volume mounting or access activities. Educate users about the risks of interacting with unknown prompts or links that could trigger unauthorized access attempts. For environments with shared devices, enforce user session isolation and consider additional encryption layers or hardware-based security modules to protect sensitive volumes. Regularly audit encrypted volume access logs to detect anomalies. Additionally, maintain up-to-date backups of critical data to mitigate potential data loss from other attack vectors. Avoid delaying patch deployment, as the vulnerability allows bypassing password prompts, increasing risk of data exposure.