CVE-2024-44129: Apple macOS Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2024-44129 Overview

CVE-2024-44129 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting Apple macOS that allows a malicious application to leak sensitive user information. The vulnerability stems from insufficient checks within macOS system components, enabling unauthorized access to confidential data. Apple addressed this issue with improved checks in macOS Ventura 13.7 and macOS Sequoia 15.

Critical Impact

A malicious application running on an affected macOS system can leak sensitive user information, potentially exposing private data, credentials, or other confidential information to unauthorized parties.

Affected Products

• Apple macOS versions prior to Ventura 13.7
• Apple macOS versions prior to Sequoia 15
• Apple macOS (various versions as indicated by CPE: cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*)

Discovery Timeline

• September 17, 2024 - CVE-2024-44129 published to NVD
• November 4, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-44129

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as an information disclosure issue (CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The flaw allows a locally installed application to bypass security boundaries and access sensitive user data that should be protected by macOS security mechanisms.

The attack requires local access and low privileges, but does not require any user interaction. This means that once a malicious application is installed on a target system, it can automatically exploit the vulnerability without any additional user action. The vulnerability specifically impacts confidentiality, allowing complete disclosure of protected information without affecting system integrity or availability.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-44129 lies in insufficient validation checks within macOS system components. The operating system failed to properly validate or restrict access to sensitive user information, allowing applications to read data beyond their authorized scope. Apple's fix involved implementing improved checks to ensure proper access control and data protection mechanisms are enforced.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, meaning an attacker must have some form of access to the target macOS system to exploit it. This could be achieved through:

• A malicious application downloaded and installed by the user
• A compromised legitimate application that includes exploit code
• An attacker with local access to an unlocked macOS system

Once the malicious application is running with standard user privileges, it can leverage the vulnerability to access sensitive user information that should be restricted. No special privileges or user interaction beyond the initial application execution are required for exploitation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-44129

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual application behavior attempting to access restricted system directories or user data stores
• Applications making unexpected system calls related to user information retrieval
• Log entries indicating unauthorized access attempts to protected user data

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for applications exhibiting anomalous data access patterns, particularly those targeting user information directories
• Implement endpoint detection rules to identify suspicious interprocess communication or data exfiltration attempts
• Review system logs for unusual application activity related to accessing sensitive user information stores
• Deploy behavioral analysis tools to detect applications attempting to bypass macOS security boundaries

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for application sandbox violations and security framework events
• Monitor network traffic for potential data exfiltration following exploitation
• Regularly audit installed applications and their permissions on macOS endpoints
• Implement file integrity monitoring for sensitive user data directories

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-44129

Immediate Actions Required

• Update macOS to version Ventura 13.7 or later, or Sequoia 15 or later immediately
• Review recently installed applications for suspicious behavior
• Audit endpoint protection solutions to ensure they can detect information disclosure attempts
• Limit application installation to trusted sources (Mac App Store or verified developers)

Patch Information

Apple has released security patches addressing this vulnerability in macOS Ventura 13.7 and macOS Sequoia 15. System administrators and users should apply these updates immediately. Detailed patch information is available in the Apple Support Advisory #121234 and Apple Support Advisory #121238.

Additional technical details regarding this vulnerability were disclosed in Full Disclosure Mailing List Post #33 and Full Disclosure Mailing List Post #41.

Workarounds

• Restrict application installation to only approved and trusted applications until patches can be applied
• Implement application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized applications from running
• Enable macOS Gatekeeper in strict mode to prevent execution of unsigned applications
• Limit user privileges where possible to reduce the potential impact of exploitation

# Verify macOS version to ensure patch is applied
sw_vers -productVersion
# Expected output: 13.7 or higher for Ventura, or 15.0 or higher for Sequoia

# Check Gatekeeper status
spctl --status
# Enable Gatekeeper if disabled
sudo spctl --master-enable