CVE-2024-54468: Apple iPadOS Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2024-54468 Overview

CVE-2024-54468 is a sandbox escape vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems. The flaw allows a malicious application to break out of its sandbox and access resources outside its intended boundaries. Apple addressed the issue with improved validation checks across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction to exploit. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to confidential data and integrity compromise on the affected device. Apple released coordinated security updates spanning seven advisories to remediate the flaw.

Critical Impact
A locally installed app can escape the Apple sandbox, gaining access to resources and data outside its authorized scope across confidentiality and integrity boundaries.

Affected Products

Apple iOS versions prior to 18.2 and iPadOS versions prior to 18.2 (and prior to 17.7.3)
Apple macOS Sequoia prior to 15.2, macOS Sonoma prior to 14.7.2, and macOS Ventura prior to 13.7.2
Apple tvOS prior to 18.2 and watchOS prior to 11.2

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-27 - CVE-2024-54468 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-54468

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability enables an application running within the Apple sandbox to escape its confinement. The Apple sandbox restricts applications to a limited set of system resources, files, and inter-process communication channels. A sandbox escape undermines this security boundary and grants the offending app broader access than its entitlements permit.

Apple's advisories describe the fix as the addition of improved checks, indicating that insufficient validation allowed the sandbox policy to be bypassed. The scope-changed impact reflected in the CVSS vector confirms that exploitation crosses a security boundary, elevating the reachable resources beyond the original sandbox scope.

Root Cause

Apple has not published detailed root cause information beyond stating that the issue was addressed with improved checks. The CWE classification is listed as NVD-CWE-noinfo, meaning NVD analysts did not assign a specific weakness category. The pattern suggests missing or insufficient validation in a sandbox-enforcing component.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to the target device. An attacker must convince the user to install or run a malicious app on the device, which then triggers the flawed logic to escape the sandbox. Because delivery relies on a hostile application, App Store review, notarization, and mobile device management controls form the first line of defense.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the Apple Security Advisory 121837 family for platform-specific technical notes.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-54468

Indicators of Compromise

Apple platforms running unpatched OS versions listed in the affected products section
Applications performing file, IPC, or entitlement operations outside their declared sandbox scope
Anomalous process spawns or resource accesses originating from user-space apps that normally operate within tight sandbox constraints

Detection Strategies

Inventory Apple endpoints and compare installed OS versions against the fixed builds (iOS/iPadOS 18.2, iPadOS 17.7.3, macOS 15.2/14.7.2/13.7.2, tvOS 18.2, watchOS 11.2)
Monitor MDM compliance reports for devices that remain on vulnerable OS builds
Review installed applications for unsigned, sideloaded, or recently notarized apps that request unusual entitlements

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable macOS Endpoint Security telemetry to observe process, file, and IPC events for sandboxed apps
Forward Unified Log data from macOS endpoints to a centralized analytics platform for behavioral analysis
Alert on applications accessing paths or Mach services outside their declared container

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-54468

Immediate Actions Required

Update iPhone and iPad devices to iOS 18.2 / iPadOS 18.2, or iPadOS 17.7.3 for legacy hardware
Update Mac systems to macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, or macOS Ventura 13.7.2 depending on the installed major version
Update Apple TV to tvOS 18.2 and Apple Watch to watchOS 11.2
Restrict installation of unsigned or non-App Store applications through MDM policy

Patch Information

Apple published fixes in the security advisories referenced by the CVE record, including Apple Security Advisory 121837, Apple Security Advisory 121838, Apple Security Advisory 121839, Apple Security Advisory 121840, Apple Security Advisory 121842, Apple Security Advisory 121843, and Apple Security Advisory 121844. Each advisory details the specific OS build that resolves the issue.

Workarounds

No official workaround is documented; applying the vendor patch is the supported remediation
Limit app installation to reviewed sources and enforce lockdown or supervised device profiles where feasible
Remove or disable untrusted third-party applications until patching is complete

bash

# Verify installed macOS version against the fixed builds
sw_vers -productVersion

# Trigger a software update check on macOS
sudo softwareupdate --list
sudo softwareupdate --install --all --restart

# For managed fleets, push OS updates via MDM
# Example (Jamf): use the ScheduleOSUpdate command targeting 15.2 / 14.7.2 / 13.7.2