CVE-2024-44291
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 · uneditedA logic issue was addressed with improved file handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.7.2. A malicious app may be able to gain root privileges.
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 logic flaw in macOS file handling allows a malicious application to bypass normal privilege boundaries and escalate to root privileges. The vulnerability stems from improper validation or handling of file operations that can be manipulated to gain elevated system access.
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>= 13.0, < 13.7.2>= 14.0, < 14.7.2>= 15.0, < 15.2CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or go to Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report > Software > macOSAffected if The version shown falls within 13.0 to 13.7.1, 14.0 to 14.7.1, or 15.0 to 15.1 (any version before the patched releases)
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Confirm the security update stateCheck System Settings > General > Software Update for available updates, or run 'softwareupdate --list' in TerminalAffected if The security update for CVE-2024-44291 (Ventura 13.7.2, Sonoma 14.7.2, or Sequoia 15.2) is not installed
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Verify the file handling component is activeSince this is a logic flaw in file handling that enables privilege escalation, any environment where untrusted applications can perform file operations may be affected. Review which applications have file system access permissions in System Settings > Privacy & SecurityAffected if Applications have broad file system access and the macOS version is in the affected range
You are affected if your macOS version is 13.0-13.7.1, 14.0-14.7.1, or 15.0-15.1 and you have not applied the corresponding security update.
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 · scoped13.7.214.7.215.2
Apply the relevant macOS security update (Ventura 13.7.2, Sonoma 14.7.2, or Sequoia 15.2) to patch the logic issue in file handling that enables privilege escalation.
macOS Ventura 13.7.2 / macOS Sonoma 14.7.2 / macOS Sequoia 15.2
- Check current macOS version by clicking Apple menu > About This Mac
- Back up important data using Time Machine or other backup solution
- Open System Settings > General > Software Update
- Install the available security update: macOS 13.7.2 for Ventura, macOS 14.7.2 for Sonoma, or macOS 15.2 for Sequoia
- Restart the system when prompted to complete the update
- Verify the fix by checking About This Mac shows the patched version
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-2024-44291 — 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-2024-44291 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