CVE-2024-54514 Overview
CVE-2024-54514 is a sandbox escape vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems. An app may be able to break out of its sandbox, allowing it to access resources and perform actions beyond the boundaries enforced by the operating system. Apple addressed the issue with improved checks in iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.7.2, tvOS 18.2, and watchOS 11.2. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction to trigger, but it results in a scope change with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Critical Impact
A malicious app can escape the Apple sandbox and access resources outside its intended isolation boundary, undermining a foundational macOS and iOS security control.
Affected Products
- Apple iOS and iPadOS prior to 18.2
- Apple macOS Sequoia prior to 15.2, macOS Sonoma prior to 14.7.2, macOS Ventura prior to 13.7.2
- Apple tvOS prior to 18.2 and watchOS prior to 11.2
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-12-12 - CVE-2024-54514 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-54514
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability allows an application running under Apple's sandbox to break out of its confinement. The Apple sandbox restricts what resources an app can access, including file paths, Mach services, network operations, and inter-process communication. A successful escape means the app can reach resources normally denied by the sandbox profile.
Apple describes the fix as improved checks, indicating that a validation gap allowed the sandboxed process to reach protected functionality. Because the attack changes security scope, the exploiting process gains capabilities beyond its assigned entitlements. This impacts every major Apple operating system, extending exposure across desktop, mobile, wearable, and TV platforms.
Root Cause
Apple's advisory attributes the issue to insufficient validation checks in sandbox enforcement code. The specific component is not detailed publicly. NVD classifies the weakness as NVD-CWE-noinfo. The fix strengthens the checks that determine whether a sandboxed operation should be permitted.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local execution and user interaction, typically achieved by convincing a user to install or run a malicious app. Once running inside its sandbox, the app abuses the flawed validation to reach outside its confinement. Technical details are described in the Apple Support Article #121837 and the Full Disclosure Posting December 11, 2024. No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been observed by NVD at the time of publication.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-54514
Indicators of Compromise
- Sandboxed applications accessing file paths, Mach ports, or IPC endpoints outside their entitlement declarations.
- Unexpected sandboxd denials followed by successful access attempts from the same process.
- Applications spawning helper processes or writing to protected directories such as ~/Library/LaunchAgents without prompting.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Endpoint Security framework events (ES_EVENT_TYPE_NOTIFY_OPEN, ES_EVENT_TYPE_NOTIFY_EXEC) for anomalous access patterns from sandboxed apps.
- Correlate sandbox_check denials in unified logs with subsequent successful sensitive operations by the same process.
- Baseline application entitlements and alert on deviations between declared entitlements and observed behavior.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Ingest macOS unified logs and Endpoint Security telemetry into a centralized data lake for behavioral correlation.
- Track installations of unsigned or ad-hoc signed applications on managed endpoints.
- Alert on any process reading Keychain, TCC-protected directories, or Mach services outside its documented scope.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-54514
Immediate Actions Required
- Update all Apple devices to iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, macOS Ventura 13.7.2, tvOS 18.2, or watchOS 11.2.
- Inventory endpoints running unsupported or older Apple OS versions and prioritize their upgrade.
- Restrict installation of applications to the App Store or verified developers via MDM policy.
Patch Information
Apple published fixes across the affected operating systems on December 11, 2024. Refer to Apple Support Article #121837, Apple Support Article #121839, Apple Support Article #121840, Apple Support Article #121842, Apple Support Article #121843, and Apple Support Article #121844 for platform-specific patch details.
Workarounds
- No vendor workaround exists; patching is the only supported remediation.
- Enforce Gatekeeper and Notarization policies to reduce the likelihood of running untrusted applications.
- Use MDM to block sideloaded apps on iOS and iPadOS and require App Store distribution on managed devices.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
