CVE-2024-40814
📋 TL;DR
This macOS vulnerability allows malicious applications to bypass Privacy preferences by exploiting a downgrade issue in code-signing restrictions. It affects macOS systems before Sonoma 14.6, potentially enabling unauthorized access to protected resources like camera, microphone, or location data.
💻 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
Malicious app gains full access to all Privacy-protected resources (camera, microphone, contacts, location) without user consent, enabling surveillance and data exfiltration.
Likely Case
Malicious app bypasses specific Privacy controls to access sensitive data or hardware features the user intended to restrict.
If Mitigated
With proper macOS updates and Gatekeeper settings, the vulnerability is eliminated, maintaining normal Privacy preference enforcement.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user to run a malicious application. The vulnerability involves code-signing bypass rather than remote code execution.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sonoma 14.6
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214119
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings 2. Click General 3. Click Software Update 4. Install macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later 5. Restart when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict App Installation Sources
allConfigure Gatekeeper to only allow apps from the App Store and identified developers
sudo spctl --master-enable
sudo spctl --enable
Review Privacy Settings
allManually verify and restrict Privacy permissions for all applications
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized app execution
- Educate users about risks of installing apps from untrusted sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version: If version is earlier than 14.6, system is vulnerableCheck Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version is 14.6 or later and check that Privacy preferences are functioning normally📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected Privacy permission changes in system logs
- Applications accessing protected resources without proper authorization prompts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from applications with newly granted permissions
SIEM Query:
source="macos_system_logs" AND (event="privacy_override" OR event="code_signature_bypass")