CVE-2024-44152
📋 TL;DR
This macOS vulnerability allows applications to access sensitive user data from system logs that should have been redacted. It affects macOS systems before Sequoia 15 where apps can read private information from log entries.
💻 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 applications could extract passwords, authentication tokens, personal identifiable information, or other sensitive data from system logs, leading to credential theft or privacy violations.
Likely Case
Applications with legitimate access to system logs could inadvertently or intentionally read sensitive user data that should have been redacted, violating user privacy.
If Mitigated
With proper application sandboxing and least privilege principles, only trusted applications would have log access, limiting exposure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires an application to be running on the target system with access to system logs. No authentication bypass is needed beyond having an app installed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sequoia 15
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/121238
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings 2. Click General 3. Click Software Update 4. Install macOS Sequoia 15 update 5. Restart when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict log access
allLimit which applications can access system logs using privacy settings
Disable unnecessary logging
allReduce sensitive data exposure by disabling verbose logging for applications
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application control policies to prevent untrusted applications from running
- Regularly audit which applications have log access permissions and revoke unnecessary access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version: if version is earlier than 15.0, system is vulnerableCheck Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version is 15.0 or later in System Settings > General > About📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual log access patterns by applications
- Applications reading from sensitive log locations
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="macos" AND (event="log_access" OR process="log") AND user_sensitive_data_access=true