SafariWeb browser · Apple
CVE-2024-54542
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 · uneditedAn authentication issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in Safari 18.2, iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, watchOS 11.2. Private Browsing tabs may be accessed without authentication.
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 confidenceAuthentication bypass vulnerability in Safari and Apple OS browsers allows unauthorized access to Private Browsing tabs without authentication due to improper state management. The vulnerability affects Private Browsing mode's authentication state, potentially exposing user's private browsing sessions.
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
SafariWeb browser
< 18.2< 18.2< 18.2< 15.2< 11.2CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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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Check Safari version on macOSOpen Safari, click Safari menu, select About Safari. Note the version number displayed.Affected if Version is earlier than 18.2 (e.g., 18.1.x, 18.0.x, or any version below 18.2)
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Check iOS or iPadOS versionOpen Settings app, go to General, tap About. Note the iOS/iPadOS version number.Affected if Version is earlier than 18.2 (e.g., 18.1.x, 17.x, or any version below 18.2)
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Check macOS versionClick Apple menu, select System Settings, go to General, click About. Note the macOS version (e.g., Sequoia 15.x, Sonoma 14.x, Ventura 13.x).Affected if Version is earlier than 15.2 (e.g., 15.1.x, 14.x, 13.x, or any version below 15.2)
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Check watchOS versionOn Apple Watch, open Settings app, go to General, tap About. Or use Watch app on iPhone, go to My Watch > General > About.Affected if Version is earlier than 11.2 (e.g., 11.1.x, 10.x, or any version below 11.2)
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Verify Private Browsing usageDetermine if you or any user of the device uses Safari's Private Browsing mode (look for dark-themed tabs or the mask icon in Safari).Affected if Private Browsing tabs are used on a device with an affected version
A user is affected if they use Safari's Private Browsing mode on any Apple device running Safari earlier than 18.2, iOS/iPadOS earlier than 18.2, macOS earlier than 15.2, or watchOS earlier than 11.2.
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 · scoped11.215.218.2
Apply vendor-supplied updates: Safari 18.2, iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, or watchOS 11.2. This is a patch-only vulnerability with no configuration workarounds.
Safari 18.2, iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, watchOS 11.2
- Upgrade Safari to version 18.2 or later
- Upgrade iPhone OS (iOS) to version 18.2 or later
- Upgrade iPadOS to version 18.2 or later
- Upgrade macOS to Sequoia 15.2 or later
- Upgrade watchOS to version 11.2 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Safari
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-54542 — 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-2024-54542 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