CVE-2024-54491 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that allows a malicious application to infer or determine the current geographic location of the user. The root cause of the vulnerability lies in the improper sanitization of logs that inadvertently expose location data. When a malicious app runs on a vulnerable macOS version, it can exploit this logging flaw to extract sensitive location information without requiring elevated privileges or prior authentication. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, such as running the malicious application. Apple addressed this issue in macOS Sequoia 15.2 by implementing proper sanitization of logging outputs to prevent leakage of location data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium), reflecting the moderate impact on confidentiality with no impact on integrity or availability. The attack vector is local (AV:L), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but user interaction is necessary (UI:R). The scope remains unchanged (S:U). There are no known exploits in the wild, and the affected versions are unspecified but presumably all versions prior to Sequoia 15.2. This vulnerability primarily threatens user privacy by exposing location information, which could be leveraged for targeted attacks or surveillance.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-54491 is the compromise of user privacy through unauthorized disclosure of location data. This can have significant consequences in sectors where location confidentiality is critical, such as government, defense, finance, and healthcare. Exposure of location data could facilitate targeted phishing, physical security risks, or tracking of personnel movements. Although the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the breach of confidentiality may violate stringent European data protection regulations such as GDPR, potentially leading to legal and reputational consequences. Organizations with remote or mobile workforces using macOS devices are particularly at risk. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the ease of exploitation with user interaction means attackers could leverage social engineering to trigger the vulnerability.

European organizations should prioritize updating all macOS devices to macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later to ensure the logging sanitization fix is applied. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict application control policies to limit installation and execution of untrusted or unsigned applications that could exploit this vulnerability. Implementing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring suspicious local application behavior can help detect exploitation attempts. User awareness training should emphasize the risks of running unknown applications and the importance of verifying software sources. Additionally, organizations should audit and restrict application permissions related to location services, ensuring only necessary apps have access. Regular privacy impact assessments can help identify and mitigate risks associated with location data exposure. Finally, monitoring logs for unusual access patterns to location services may provide early warning of exploitation attempts.