CVE-2024-54493VulnerabilityPublished 11 Dec 2024Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2024-54493: Apple macOS · Privacy indicators for microphone access may be attributed incorrectly

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 3.3 Low · fixed in 15.2 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

3.3Low

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 12% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 15.2

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

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: Low
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: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
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: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on 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 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 2026-10-25.

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-2024-54493, organizations and users should promptly update macOS to version Sequoia 15.2 or later, where the issue is fixed through improved state management of privacy indicators. Beyond patching, organizations should audit and monitor application permissions related to microphone access, ensuring only trusted applications have such privileges. Employ endpoint security solutions that can detect anomalous microphone usage patterns. Educate users to verify application behavior and report suspicious microphone activity, especially if privacy indicators appear inconsistent. For environments with high privacy requirements, consider additional controls such as hardware microphone kill switches or software that logs microphone access events for audit. Regularly review macOS security advisories to stay informed of related vulnerabilities and fixes.

Description

This issue was addressed through improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.2. Privacy indicators for microphone access may be attributed incorrectly.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-54493 is on user trust and privacy awareness rather than direct system compromise. Incorrect attribution of microphone access indicators can cause users to misidentify which applications are accessing their microphone, potentially allowing malicious or unauthorized apps to operate without proper suspicion. This could facilitate social engineering attacks or privacy violations if users assume a trusted app is accessing the microphone when it is actually a different, possibly malicious, app. However, the vulnerability does not grant attackers direct access to microphone data or system control. The limited scope and low severity reduce the risk of widespread damage, but organizations relying on macOS for sensitive communications or privacy-sensitive environments may find this undermines their security posture. Ensuring accurate privacy indicators is important for compliance with privacy regulations and maintaining user confidence in device security.

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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