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macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2024-54489

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.7.2 / 14.7.2 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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
A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.7.2. Running a mount command may unexpectedly execute arbitrary code.

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 path handling vulnerability in macOS mount command allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code through improper path validation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of path inputs when processing mount operations, potentially enabling privilege escalation.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied macOS security updates (Sequoia 15.2, Sonoma 14.7.2, or Ventura 13.7.2) to remediate the path validation issue in the mount command.

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
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 13.7.2>= 14.0, < 14.7.2>= 15.0, < 15.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 checks

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

  1. Check installed macOS version
    Run 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal to get the exact macOS version number (e.g., 14.6, 15.1, etc.)
    Affected if The version is less than 13.7.2, or falls between 14.0 and 14.7.1, or falls between 15.0 and 15.1
  2. Confirm macOS build or update level
    Run 'sw_vers -buildVersion' to see the specific build, or check System Settings > General > Software Update to see if security updates are installed
    Affected if The system has not received the security updates for this vulnerability (Ventura 13.7.2, Sonoma 14.7.2, or Sequoia 15.2)
  3. Identify macOS release name
    Run 'sw_vers -productName' to confirm whether the system is running Ventura, Sonoma, or Sequoia
    Affected if The release is Ventura and version < 13.7.2, or Sonoma and version < 14.7.2, or Sequoia and version < 15.2

A user is affected if their macOS version falls into any of these vulnerable ranges: < 13.7.2 (Ventura), 14.0-14.7.1 (Sonoma), or 15.0-15.1 (Sequoia).

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 13.7.2 / 14.7.2 / 15.2 or later
Fixed in 13.7.214.7.215.2
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied macOS security updates (Sequoia 15.2, Sonoma 14.7.2, or Ventura 13.7.2) to remediate the path validation issue in the mount command.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Ventura 13.7.2 / macOS Sonoma 14.7.2 / macOS Sequoia 15.2 (depending on your current major version)

  1. Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method before performing any system update
  2. If running macOS Ventura (13.x), upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.7.2
  3. If running macOS Sonoma (14.x), upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.7.2
  4. If running macOS Sequoia (15.0-15.1), upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.2
  5. To upgrade, go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update
  6. Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation
  7. Verify the update was successful by checking System Settings > General > About to confirm the version number
Caveat Standard macOS upgrade considerations apply - ensure compatibility of third-party applications with the new version before upgrading

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

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2024-54489 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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