CVE-2024-23248
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in macOS allows processing a malicious file to cause a denial-of-service or potentially leak memory contents. It affects macOS systems before Sonoma 14.4. Attackers could exploit this by tricking users into opening specially crafted files.
💻 Affected Systems
- macOS
📦 What is this software?
Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Memory disclosure could expose sensitive information like passwords or encryption keys, while denial-of-service could crash affected applications or the system.
Likely Case
Denial-of-service causing application crashes when processing malicious files, potentially disrupting user workflows.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper file handling controls and user awareness about opening untrusted files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open malicious files. No public exploit code has been disclosed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sonoma 14.4
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214084
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings 2. Click General 3. Click Software Update 4. Install macOS Sonoma 14.4 or later 5. Restart when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file processing
allLimit file processing to trusted sources and avoid opening files from untrusted origins
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to restrict which applications can process files
- Educate users about the risks of opening files from untrusted sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version in System Settings > General > About. If version is earlier than 14.4, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version is 14.4 or later in System Settings > General > About.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes related to file processing
- Unexpected memory access errors in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of suspicious file types followed by application crashes
SIEM Query:
source="macos_system_logs" AND (event="crash" OR event="memory_error") AND process="*file_processor*"