VulnerabilityPublished 11 Dec 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-54492: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to alter network traffic

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical · fixed in 18.2 : patch Apple iOS and iPadOS as a priority.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

9.8Critical

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

EPSS: 0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 58% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 18.2

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

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: 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: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 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 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

Organizations and users should immediately update affected Apple devices to the patched versions: iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, iPadOS 17.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.2, and visionOS 2.2. Network administrators should enforce the use of VPNs or other secure tunneling protocols to protect data in transit, especially on untrusted or public networks. Implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns indicative of MITM attacks. Employ certificate pinning and strict transport security policies in applications to prevent downgrade or interception attacks. Educate users about the risks of connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks and encourage the use of trusted networks only. Regularly audit and update network infrastructure to ensure no rogue devices or compromised nodes exist that could facilitate privileged network access. Consider deploying intrusion detection systems capable of identifying MITM attack signatures. Finally, maintain an incident response plan that includes procedures for handling potential data interception or manipulation incidents.

Description

This issue was addressed by using HTTPS when sending information over the network. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, iPadOS 17.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.2, visionOS 2.2. An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to alter network traffic.

Impact

The impact of CVE-2024-54492 is severe for organizations worldwide relying on Apple devices for communication and data exchange. Attackers with network access can perform man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept, alter, or inject malicious content into network traffic, potentially leading to data breaches, credential theft, unauthorized access, and disruption of services. Confidential information such as emails, messages, and application data can be compromised, undermining user privacy and organizational security. The integrity of transmitted data is at risk, which can affect decision-making processes and trust in communication channels. Availability may also be impacted if attackers disrupt or manipulate network traffic to cause denial of service or application failures. Given the widespread use of Apple devices in both consumer and enterprise environments, the vulnerability could facilitate large-scale espionage, targeted attacks on high-value targets, and exploitation by cybercriminals or nation-state actors. The lack of required authentication and user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the threat landscape significantly.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 00:18 UTC

Technical details

References

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