CVE-2024-44211
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 · uneditedThis issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.1. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.
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 symlink validation vulnerability in macOS Sequoia allowed applications to access user-sensitive data through improper symlink handling. The issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks in macOS 15.1, preventing apps from following malicious symlinks to protected user data locations.
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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/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 installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or System Settings > General > About to view the macOS version numberAffected if The version shows 15.0 exactly (or any 15.0.x release before 15.1)
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Verify macOS build numberRun 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' or 'sw_vers -buildVersion' to see the detailed build numberAffected if Build number corresponds to a pre-15.1 release (15.0.x builds)
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Confirm OS is macOS SequoiaCheck that the system is running macOS Sequoia (15.x) by running 'sw_vers' which displays product name and versionAffected if Product name shows 'macOS Sequoia' and version is 15.0
If the system is running macOS 15.0 (any 15.0.x release) and has not been updated to 15.1 or later, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.
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 · scopedUpdate macOS devices to version 15.1 or later. For custom applications that handle file paths, implement proper symlink validation (e.g., using stat/lstat to check for symlinks before file access, following symlinks only within expected boundaries).
macOS Sequoia 15.1
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup method before proceeding with the update
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Click on General in the sidebar
- Click on Software Update
- Wait for macOS to check for available updates
- If macOS Sequoia 15.1 appears, click Update Now or Download and Install
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation
- Restart the Mac if prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-44211 — 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-2024-44211 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