CVE-2024-44175

Sensitive data disclosure via unvalidated symlinks

Published Oct 28, 2024 · Updated Apr 2, 2026

Link-following in the macOS Kernel before 15, including Sonoma before 14.7.1, allows local users to read sensitive user data. The Kernel insufficiently validates symbolic links before file access, allowing an attacker-controlled link to resolve to an unintended resource. Apple has not published the affected function or exact file-access path; exploitation requires running an app locally.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.64%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link-following in the macOS Kernel before 15, including Sonoma before 14.7.1, allows local users to read sensitive user data. The Kernel insufficiently validates symbolic links before file access, allowing an attacker-controlled link to resolve to an unintended resource. Apple has not published the affected function or exact file-access path; exploitation requires running an app locally.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-44175
Published
Oct 28, 2024
Updated
Apr 2, 2026
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-922, CWE-59, T1005
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <14.7
  2. Affected versionversion=0 <14.7.1
  3. Affected versionversion=0 <15

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=0 <14.7; version=0 <14.7.1; version=0 <15

Published CVSS scores

7.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-922Insecure Storage of Sensitive Information
CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1005Data from Local System

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

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Your stack

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