CVE-2024-44286
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 through improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.1. An attacker with physical access can input keyboard events to apps running on a locked device.
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 confidenceA vulnerability in macOS allowed an attacker with physical access to input keyboard events to applications even when the device was locked. The issue stemmed from improper state management that failed to properly enforce the lock screen security boundary, potentially allowing unauthorized interaction with apps on a locked device.
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< 15.1CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or select Apple menu > About This Mac to view the macOS version numberAffected if Version is below 15.1 (e.g., 14.x, 13.x, etc.)
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Verify lock screen state managementLock the device (Ctrl+Cmd+Q or Apple menu > Lock) then attempt to verify keyboard input handling is blocked - however, do not actually test injection as this requires physical access by an attackerAffected if Device accepts keyboard input while locked, indicating the state management bypass is present
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Confirm System Integrity Protection statusRun 'csrutil status' in Terminal to check if SIP is enabled, as this is a secondary defense layerAffected if SIP is disabled and macOS version is below 15.1
A system is affected if it runs macOS version lower than 15.1 and has not applied the Sequoia 15.1 security update, allowing potential keyboard injection on the lock screen.
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 · scoped15.1
Apply the macOS Sequoia 15.1 security update or later to patch this vulnerability. Ensure devices are updated to the fixed version to prevent physical access attacks.
macOS Sequoia 15.1
- Back up all important data on the Mac before performing the upgrade
- Verify the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
- Click on General in the sidebar
- Click on Software Update
- If macOS Sequoia 15.1 is available, click Download and Install
- Enter the administrator password when prompted
- Restart the Mac when the installation is complete to apply the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation0.5 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA0.5 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-44286 — 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-2024-44286 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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- 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
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