CVE-2024-44303: macOS Sequoia Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2024-44303 Overview

CVE-2024-44303 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting macOS Sequoia that allows malicious applications to bypass file system protections and modify protected parts of the file system. The vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms (CWE-284) that fail to adequately validate operations on protected file system areas.

This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it could allow attackers to tamper with critical system files, potentially leading to system compromise, persistence mechanisms, or privilege escalation through modification of protected system components.

Critical Impact

Malicious applications can modify protected parts of the macOS file system, potentially compromising system integrity and security controls.

Affected Products

• macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.1

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-02 - CVE-2024-44303 published to NVD
• 2026-04-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-44303

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under the Improper Access Control (CWE-284) category, indicating that the macOS file system protection mechanisms contained insufficient checks to prevent unauthorized modifications. The flaw allows malicious applications running on an affected system to bypass the security boundaries that normally protect critical file system areas from modification.

macOS implements System Integrity Protection (SIP) and other file system protection mechanisms to safeguard critical system files from modification, even by processes running with root privileges. This vulnerability undermines those protections by exploiting a gap in the validation checks, allowing a malicious application to write to or modify protected file system regions.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-44303 is improper access control validation within macOS Sequoia's file system protection mechanisms. The operating system failed to perform adequate checks when determining whether an application should be permitted to modify certain protected file system areas. Apple addressed this issue with improved checks in macOS Sequoia 15.1.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability requires a malicious application to be running on the target macOS system. An attacker would need to either:

1. Trick a user into installing and running a malicious application
2. Compromise an existing application to leverage this vulnerability
3. Exploit another vulnerability to gain initial code execution, then use CVE-2024-44303 for persistence or privilege escalation

Once the malicious application is running, it can leverage the improper access control flaw to modify protected file system areas without proper authorization. This could enable attackers to tamper with system files, install persistent backdoors, or bypass other security controls that depend on file system integrity.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-44303

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to files in protected system directories such as /System, /Library, or other SIP-protected locations
• File integrity monitoring alerts indicating unauthorized changes to system files
• Suspicious applications attempting to access or modify protected file system areas
• Unusual file system events logged in the Unified Logging System

Detection Strategies

• Implement file integrity monitoring (FIM) solutions to detect unauthorized modifications to protected system files
• Monitor for applications with unusual entitlements or code signing anomalies
• Review macOS Unified Logs for file system access violations or unexpected permission grants
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring file system operations in real-time

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for file system operations on macOS endpoints
• Configure alerts for any modifications to SIP-protected directories
• Monitor for new or modified applications that lack proper code signatures
• Implement baseline file system snapshots for critical system directories to enable change detection

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-44303

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all macOS Sequoia systems to version 15.1 or later immediately
• Review system integrity by checking for any unauthorized modifications to protected file system areas
• Audit installed applications for suspicious or unauthorized software
• Ensure SIP (System Integrity Protection) is enabled on all systems

Patch Information

Apple has addressed this vulnerability in macOS Sequoia 15.1. The fix implements improved checks to properly validate file system operations and prevent unauthorized modifications to protected areas. Organizations should prioritize updating to macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later.

For detailed information about the security update, refer to the Apple Security Advisory.

Workarounds

• Restrict installation of applications to those from trusted sources and the Mac App Store only
• Enable Gatekeeper with the strictest settings to prevent execution of unsigned applications
• Implement application whitelisting to control which applications can run on managed systems
• Consider network segmentation and access controls to limit potential attack vectors

# Verify SIP status and ensure it's enabled
csrutil status

# Check for unauthorized modifications to protected directories
sudo find /System -newer /var/db/SystemPolicyConfiguration/signed.zip -type f 2>/dev/null

# View file system protection status
sudo cat /System/Library/Security/PolicyBanner.txt 2>/dev/null || echo "Check system integrity manually"