Keychain access via missing hardened runtime
Published Sep 16, 2024 · Updated Apr 2, 2026
Incorrect authorization in Xcode before 16 allows local users to access Keychain items through a malicious application. Apple identifies the IDE Documentation component and states that enabling the hardened runtime prevents the access, but does not disclose the specific executable or authorization path. Exploitation requires a malicious application running locally in the affected user context, and the bounded impact is access to that user’s Keychain items.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in Xcode before 16 allows local users to access Keychain items through a malicious application. Apple identifies the IDE Documentation component and states that enabling the hardened runtime prevents the access, but does not disclose the specific executable or authorization path. Exploitation requires a malicious application running locally in the affected user context, and the bounded impact is access to that user’s Keychain items.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-44162
- Published
- Sep 16, 2024
- Updated
- Apr 2, 2026
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- Xcode
- Classifications
- CWE-863, T1555.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 16, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 2, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <16
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo