CVE-2024-44193Public exploit

SYSTEM privilege escalation via junction-following deletion

Published Oct 2, 2024 · Updated Apr 2, 2026

Improper permission handling in Apple iTunes before 12.13.3 for Windows allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. AppleMobileDeviceService.exe recursively deletes entries under the user-writable Lockdown directory as SYSTEM and follows attacker-controlled NTFS junctions outside it. A local user can redirect the privileged deletion primitive and replace protected content to execute code as SYSTEM when the service restarts.

CVSS severity8.4
High
EPSS probability0.40%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper permission handling in Apple iTunes before 12.13.3 for Windows allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. AppleMobileDeviceService.exe recursively deletes entries under the user-writable Lockdown directory as SYSTEM and follows attacker-controlled NTFS junctions outside it. A local user can redirect the privileged deletion primitive and replace protected content to execute code as SYSTEM when the service restarts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-44193
Published
Oct 2, 2024
Updated
Apr 2, 2026
Vendor
Apple
Product
iTunes for Windows
Classifications
CWE-281, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 2, 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

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <12.13.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · iTunes for Windowsversion=0 <12.13.3
Apple · iTunesversion=0 <12.13.3

Published CVSS scores

8.4CISA ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

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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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-281Improper Preservation of Permissions
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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