CVE-2024-44154 – A memory initialization vulnerability in macOS ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-44154?

CVE-2024-44154 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). A memory initialization vulnerability in macOS allows processing malicious files to cause unexpected application termination. This affects users running macOS versions before Sonoma 14.7 or Sequoia 15. The issue is triggered when applications process specially crafted files.

📋 TL;DR

A memory initialization vulnerability in macOS allows processing malicious files to cause unexpected application termination. This affects users running macOS versions before Sonoma 14.7 or Sequoia 15. The issue is triggered when applications process specially crafted files.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

macOS

Versions: Versions before macOS Sonoma 14.7 and macOS Sequoia 15

Operating Systems: macOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All default configurations of affected macOS versions are vulnerable

📦 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

Denial of service through application crashes, potentially disrupting workflows or services

🟠

Likely Case

Application termination when processing malicious files, requiring restart of affected applications

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper file handling controls and user awareness

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires user interaction to process malicious files

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users could be targeted with malicious files via email or shared drives

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires user interaction to open malicious files

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: macOS Sonoma 14.7 or 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 available updates 5. Restart when prompted

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict file processing

all

Limit processing of untrusted files and implement file type restrictions

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement application whitelisting to restrict which applications can process files
Educate users about risks of opening untrusted files and implement email filtering

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check macOS version in System Settings > General > About

Check Version:

sw_vers

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify macOS version is 14.7 or higher for Sonoma, or 15 or higher for Sequoia

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Application crash logs, unexpected process termination events

Network Indicators:

File downloads followed by application crashes

SIEM Query:

source="macos" event_type="process_termination" | search "unexpected" OR "crash"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-44154

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-400

Published: September 17, 2024

Last Updated: November 4, 2025

🔗 References

https://support.apple.com/en-us/121238 Release Notes
https://support.apple.com/en-us/121247 Release Notes
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Sep/33
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Sep/40

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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