dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2024-44258

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.1 / 17.7.1 or later.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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 handling of symlinks. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.7.1 and iPadOS 17.7.1, iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, tvOS 18.1, visionOS 2.1. Restoring a maliciously crafted backup file may lead to modification of protected system files.

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 symlink handling vulnerability in iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and visionOS backup restoration allows a maliciously crafted backup file to modify protected system files by exploiting symlink resolution during the restore process. The attacker creates a backup containing a symlink that points to a protected system file, and when the backup is restored, the symlink is followed, bypassing file protection.

MitigationApply the available security updates (iOS 17.7.1/18.1, iPadOS 17.7.1/18.1, tvOS 18.1, visionOS 2.1) to all affected devices. Avoid restoring backup files from untrusted or unknown sources.

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
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 17.7.1>= 18.0, < 18.1
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 17.7.1>= 18.0, < 18.1
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 18.1
VisionosOperating system
Affected:< 2.1

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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/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 checks

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

  1. Check iOS or iPadOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About > Version and note the version number. Compare it to the affected ranges: < 17.7.1, or >= 18.0 and < 18.1
    Affected if The version falls within < 17.7.1 or >= 18.0 and < 18.1
  2. Check tvOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About > Version on the Apple TV and note the version number. Compare it to the affected range: < 18.1
    Affected if The version is earlier than 18.1
  3. Check visionOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About > Version on the Vision Pro and note the version number. Compare it to the affected range: < 2.1
    Affected if The version is earlier than 2.1
  4. Identify backup restore activity
    Review whether any backup files from untrusted or unknown sources have been restored to the device. Check backup file origins and timestamps in your records or the device backup settings.
    Affected if A backup from an untrusted or unknown source has been restored to the device

The device is affected if it runs an affected iOS/iPadOS version (< 17.7.1 or >= 18.0 to < 18.1), tvOS version (< 18.1), or visionOS version (< 2.1) AND a backup from an untrusted source has been restored, allowing symlink manipulation of protected system files.

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 2.1 / 17.7.1 / 18.1 or later
Fixed in 2.117.7.118.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the available security updates (iOS 17.7.1/18.1, iPadOS 17.7.1/18.1, tvOS 18.1, visionOS 2.1) to all affected devices. Avoid restoring backup files from untrusted or unknown sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 17.7.1, iPadOS 17.7.1, iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, tvOS 18.1, or visionOS 2.1 (depending on device type)

  1. Back up your device data before proceeding with the update
  2. On iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 17.7.1 or iOS 18.1 (depending on your current version)
  3. On iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iPadOS 17.7.1 or iPadOS 18.1
  4. On Apple TV: Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and install tvOS 18.1
  5. On Apple Vision Pro: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install visionOS 2.1
  6. After updating, avoid restoring from untrusted or unknown backup files

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get the upgrade done

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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-2024-44258 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