dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2024-44178

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-09-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.7 / 14.7 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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 · unedited
This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7, macOS Ventura 13.7. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.

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 · high confidence

A vulnerability in macOS allowed applications to bypass file system protections and modify restricted areas by exploiting insufficient validation of symbolic links. The fix implements improved symlink validation to prevent apps from circumventing sandbox or permission boundaries through maliciously crafted symlinks.

MitigationApply the appropriate macOS security update (Ventura 13.7, Sonoma 14.7, or Sequoia 15) to patch the symlink validation vulnerability and prevent unauthorized file system modifications.

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
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 13.7>= 14.0, < 14.7

CVSS 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

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

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed macOS version
    Open Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version is 13.0 through 13.6 (Ventura) OR 14.0 through 14.6 (Sonoma)
  2. Confirm macOS build number
    Run: uname -a to see kernel version, or System Settings > General > About for full version details
    Affected if Build date is before the security update release for your macOS version
  3. Identify macOS release name
    Run: sw_vers -productVersion and match against Ventura (13.x) or Sonoma (14.x)
    Affected if Running Ventura 13.x or Sonoma 14.x without the security updates applied

You are affected if running macOS Ventura before 13.7 or macOS Sonoma before 14.7, as these versions lack the improved symlink validation fix.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 13.7 / 14.7 or later
Fixed in 13.714.7
Interim mitigation

Apply the appropriate macOS security update (Ventura 13.7, Sonoma 14.7, or Sequoia 15) to patch the symlink validation vulnerability and prevent unauthorized file system modifications.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Ventura 13.7+ / macOS Sonoma 14.7+ / macOS Sequoia 15+

  1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
  2. Navigate to General > Software Update
  3. Click 'Check for Update' or allow automatic updates to download the latest security patch
  4. For macOS Ventura (13.x): Ensure update to version 13.7 or later
  5. For macOS Sonoma (14.x): Ensure update to version 14.7 or later
  6. For macOS Sequoia (15.x): Ensure update to version 15 or later
  7. Restart the system if prompted to complete the installation
Caveat Major macOS upgrades may introduce compatibility issues with older applications; ensure critical software is compatible before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,090
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-44178 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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