CVE-2024-44146
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA logic issue was addressed with improved file handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15. An app may be able to break out of its sandbox.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA logic error in file handling within macOS allows an application to escape its sandbox restrictions, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges. This vulnerability was addressed in macOS Sequoia 15 through improved file handling controls.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 15.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check the installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or go to Apple menu > About This Mac to view the macOS version numberAffected if The version displayed is below 15.0 (for example, 14.x, 13.x, etc.)
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Confirm the full OS build numberRun 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' in Terminal to see both the marketing version and the build numberAffected if The build version corresponds to a pre-Sequoia release (any build prior to macOS 15.0)
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Determine if third-party file handling extensions are activeCheck System Settings > Privacy & Security > Extensions > Added Extensions for any sandboxed applications with file handling capabilities enabledAffected if Any sandboxed applications with file handling extensions are installed on a macOS version below 15.0
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Verify system audit logs for sandbox violationsRun 'sudo log show --predicate 'subsystem == "com.apple.security.sandbox"' --last 24h' to review recent sandbox-related eventsAffected if Any sandbox escape attempts or file handling anomalies appear in logs on systems running below macOS 15.0
A system is affected if it runs any macOS version prior to 15.0 (Sequoia), as the vulnerability allows sandboxed applications to bypass restrictions through improper file handling.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped15.0
Apply macOS Sequoia 15 or later to affected systems to remediate the sandbox escape vulnerability. Prioritize systems running older macOS versions given the critical (CVSS 10) severity.
macOS Sequoia 15.0
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method before starting the update
- Ensure your Mac is connected to power throughout the update process
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Click on 'General' in the sidebar
- Click on 'Software Update'
- Wait for macOS Sequoia 15.0 to appear in the list of available updates
- Click 'Download and Install' or 'Upgrade Now'
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation and restart your Mac when prompted
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-44146 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-44146 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data