CVE-2024-40788: Apple iPadOS Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2024-40788 Overview

CVE-2024-40788 is a type confusion vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. The vulnerability exists due to improper memory handling, which can be exploited by a local attacker to cause unexpected system shutdown. Apple addressed this issue with improved memory handling in security updates released in July 2024.

Type confusion vulnerabilities occur when a program allocates or initializes a resource using one type but later accesses that resource using an incompatible type. This can lead to memory corruption, crashes, or in some cases, arbitrary code execution. In this case, the primary impact is availability, enabling denial of service through system crashes.

Critical Impact

A local attacker can exploit this type confusion vulnerability to cause unexpected system shutdown, potentially leading to denial of service and data loss from unsaved work.

Affected Products

• Apple iOS versions prior to 17.6 and iOS 16.7.9
• Apple iPadOS versions prior to 17.6 and iPadOS 16.7.9
• Apple macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.6
• Apple macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.6.8
• Apple macOS Monterey versions prior to 12.7.6
• Apple watchOS versions prior to 10.6
• Apple tvOS versions prior to 17.6
• Apple visionOS versions prior to 1.3

Discovery Timeline

• July 29, 2024 - CVE-2024-40788 published to NVD
• November 4, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-40788

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type (Type Confusion). Type confusion occurs when code does not verify the type of an object before performing operations on it, leading to logical errors or memory corruption when the object is treated as a different type than intended.

The vulnerability requires local access to the target system, meaning an attacker must have some level of access to the device, either physical or through another compromised application. The attack complexity is low, and no user interaction is required once the attacker has local access.

The primary impact is on system availability. When exploited, this vulnerability causes the operating system to crash, resulting in an unexpected system shutdown. This can lead to loss of unsaved data, service interruption, and potential exploitation in targeted denial-of-service scenarios against high-value targets.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-40788 lies in improper memory handling within Apple's operating system kernel or system frameworks. Type confusion vulnerabilities typically arise when:

1. Code paths accept objects of multiple types without proper validation
2. Memory is allocated for one type but interpreted as another
3. Object polymorphism is incorrectly implemented, leading to method dispatch on incompatible types

Apple's fix involved improving memory handling to ensure proper type validation before operations are performed on objects, preventing the type confusion condition from occurring.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2024-40788 is local, requiring the attacker to have some form of access to the target device. This could be achieved through:

A malicious application installed on the device could trigger the type confusion by crafting specific memory operations that cause the system to misinterpret object types. The attacker could embed the exploit within an application that appears benign but contains malicious code paths that trigger the vulnerability.

Once triggered, the type confusion leads to memory corruption that the operating system cannot safely recover from, resulting in a kernel panic or system crash. The attack requires low privileges and no user interaction beyond the initial application execution.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-40788

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected system crashes or reboots without user initiation, particularly repeated occurrences
• Kernel panic logs showing memory access violations or type-related errors
• Crash reports in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ (macOS) containing memory corruption indicators
• Recently installed applications from unknown or untrusted sources that correlate with system instability

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system logs for kernel panic events and analyze crash reports for patterns consistent with type confusion exploitation
• Implement mobile device management (MDM) solutions to track device health and detect anomalous reboot patterns
• Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions like SentinelOne to identify suspicious application behavior that may precede exploitation
• Audit installed applications and verify they originate from trusted sources such as the App Store

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed system logging on macOS devices to capture crash diagnostics and kernel events
• Configure alerting for devices experiencing repeated unexpected shutdowns within short time periods
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity Platform for macOS and iOS endpoints to detect behavioral anomalies indicative of exploitation attempts
• Regularly review Apple's security advisories and correlate with observed device behavior

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-40788

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all Apple devices to the latest patched versions: iOS/iPadOS 17.6+, iOS/iPadOS 16.7.9+, macOS Sonoma 14.6+, macOS Ventura 13.6.8+, macOS Monterey 12.7.6+, watchOS 10.6+, tvOS 17.6+, and visionOS 1.3+
• Enable automatic updates on all managed Apple devices to ensure timely deployment of security patches
• Audit enterprise device inventory to identify systems running vulnerable versions and prioritize remediation
• Review recently installed applications and remove any from untrusted sources

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates addressing this vulnerability across all affected platforms. Organizations and individuals should apply these updates immediately:

• iOS and iPadOS: Update to iOS 17.6 / iPadOS 17.6 or iOS 16.7.9 / iPadOS 16.7.9 - See Apple Security Advisory HT214117
• macOS Sonoma: Update to version 14.6 - See Apple Security Advisory HT214119
• macOS Ventura: Update to version 13.6.8 - See Apple Security Advisory HT214120
• macOS Monterey: Update to version 12.7.6 - See Apple Security Advisory HT214118
• watchOS: Update to version 10.6 - See Apple Security Advisory HT214124
• tvOS: Update to version 17.6 - See Apple Security Advisory HT214122
• visionOS: Update to version 1.3 - See Apple Security Advisory HT214123

Workarounds

• Restrict installation of applications to verified App Store sources only until patches are applied
• Implement application whitelisting through MDM solutions to prevent execution of unauthorized applications
• Limit physical access to devices in high-security environments where immediate patching is not feasible
• Monitor devices for signs of exploitation and isolate any showing symptoms of attack until patched

# Check current macOS version and apply updates
softwareupdate --list
softwareupdate --install --all

# For managed environments, use MDM to push updates
# Example: Verify device OS versions via command line
sw_vers -productVersion