CVE-2024-40770: Apple macOS Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2024-40770 Overview

CVE-2024-40770 is a permissions vulnerability in Apple macOS that allows a non-privileged user to modify restricted network settings. Apple addressed the issue by introducing additional access restrictions in macOS Sequoia 15. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-281] Improper Preservation of Permissions and [CWE-863] Incorrect Authorization. Successful exploitation undermines the integrity of network configuration on affected systems without requiring elevated privileges or user interaction.

Critical Impact
A local non-privileged user can alter network settings that should be protected, enabling tampering with system network behavior on macOS releases prior to Sequoia 15.

Affected Products

Apple macOS versions prior to macOS Sequoia 15
Systems running with default permission models on pre-Sequoia builds
Multi-user macOS environments where standard accounts share endpoints

Discovery Timeline

2024-09-17 - CVE-2024-40770 published to NVD
2024-09-17 - Apple publishes security advisory and releases macOS Sequoia 15
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-40770

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from an authorization weakness in the macOS network settings subsystem. Apple's advisory describes it as "a permissions issue" addressed with additional restrictions. A non-privileged user account can reach functionality that should be gated to administrators or system-level processes. The result is unauthorized modification of network configuration entries that influence host connectivity and traffic routing.

Integrity impact is the primary concern. The flaw does not directly disclose data or crash the system. Instead, it allows altering settings that other security controls and applications rely on for correct operation. Attackers chaining this issue with other techniques could redirect traffic, disable network-level protections, or stage further compromise.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper authorization enforcement [CWE-863] combined with improper preservation of permissions [CWE-281]. A code path responsible for applying network setting changes did not validate the caller's privilege level against the sensitivity of the requested change. macOS Sequoia 15 introduces additional checks to ensure only authorized principals can mutate these settings.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires the attacker to act under a non-privileged user context on the target macOS host. From that context, the user invokes the affected network configuration interface and applies changes that the operating system should refuse. No user interaction from another account is required. The CVSS vector reflects a network-reachable attack surface with high integrity impact, indicating that the modified settings can influence network-facing behavior. Apple did not publish detailed exploitation steps, and no public proof-of-concept is currently catalogued for this CVE. Refer to the Apple Support Documentation and Full Disclosure Security Mailing List for the official advisory context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-40770

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected changes to network service order, DNS resolvers, or proxy configuration on macOS endpoints running pre-Sequoia builds.
networksetup, scutil, or defaults invocations originating from standard user sessions rather than administrative workflows.
Modifications to /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist outside of approved change windows.

Detection Strategies

Audit endpoint telemetry for process executions of network configuration utilities by non-admin UIDs.
Compare baseline network settings against current state on a recurring schedule and alert on drift.
Correlate local privilege context with network setting mutation events surfaced by macOS unified logging.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward macOS endpoint and unified log telemetry to a centralized analytics platform for cross-host correlation.
Track macOS build versions across the fleet to identify hosts still running versions prior to Sequoia 15.
Alert on anomalous DNS, proxy, or routing changes that coincide with non-administrative user activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-40770

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade affected endpoints to macOS Sequoia 15 or later, which contains Apple's fix.
Inventory macOS hosts and prioritize upgrade of multi-user systems and shared workstations.
Restrict standard user accounts from interactive shell access on sensitive systems until patched.

Patch Information

Apple resolved CVE-2024-40770 in macOS Sequoia 15 by adding restrictions that prevent non-privileged users from modifying protected network settings. Patch details and the full list of fixes are available in the Apple Support Documentation. Administrators should deploy the update through their existing macOS patch management workflow and validate that endpoints report the updated build after installation.

Workarounds

Enforce least-privilege account assignment so that day-to-day users do not operate with extended capabilities.
Use Mobile Device Management (MDM) configuration profiles to lock network settings and override local changes.
Monitor and alert on network configuration changes until all endpoints are upgraded to macOS Sequoia 15.

bash

# Verify macOS build to confirm patch status
sw_vers -productVersion

# List current network services and order (baseline reference)
networksetup -listallnetworkservices

# Capture current DNS configuration for drift detection
scutil --dns | grep 'nameserver\[' | sort -u