CVE-2024-44202
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 · uneditedAn authentication issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in Safari 18, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Private Browsing tabs may be accessed without authentication.
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 confidenceThis is an authentication bypass vulnerability in Safari and iOS where Private Browsing tabs could be accessed without proper authentication due to improper state management. The vulnerability allows unauthorized access to private browsing sessions.
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< 18.0< 18.0CVSS 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
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check the installed iOS or iPadOS versionGo to Settings > General > About on the device and note the version number listed next to 'Version'Affected if The version shown is less than 18.0 (for example, 17.x, 16.x, etc.)
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Verify the iOS/iPadOS build numberIn Settings > General > About, note the build number displayed next to 'Build Version'Affected if The build corresponds to a version earlier than iOS 18.0 or iPadOS 18.0
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Confirm Private Browsing authentication settingOpen Safari, tap the tabs button, then tap 'Private' to enter Private Browsing mode. Lock the device, then unlock and attempt to access the Private Browsing tabs without additional authenticationAffected if Private Browsing tabs are accessible immediately upon unlock without requiring Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode authentication
A device is affected if it runs iOS or iPadOS versions earlier than 18.0 AND allows access to Private Browsing tabs without re-authentication after the device is unlocked.
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 · scoped18.0
Update affected devices to Safari 18, iOS 18, or iPadOS 18 to apply the fix. Ensure Private Browsing authentication is functioning correctly after the update.
iOS 18 and iPadOS 18
- Back up your iPhone or iPad using iCloud or your computer
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update on your device
- Download and install iOS 18 or iPadOS 18
- After the update completes, verify the version by checking Settings > General > About
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-44202 — 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-2024-44202 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