Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-44168

Apple Macos ≤ 13.7

Published
17 September 2024
Modified
02 April 2026
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 5.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0025 16th percentile
Risk Priority 42 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-44168 is a medium-severity Uncontrolled Search Path Element (CWE-427) vulnerability in Apple Macos. Its CVSS base score is 5.5 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 16th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and CM-7 (Least Functionality) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 InjectionA08:2025 Software or Data Integrity Failures

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A library injection issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15, macOS Sonoma 14.7, macOS Ventura 13.7. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.

CWE(s)
CWE-427CWE-114

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1034 Path Interception Persistence
**This technique has been deprecated.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.007 Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking environment variables used to load libraries.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.008 Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the search order used to load other programs.
attack.mitre.org →
T1129 Shared Modules Execution
Adversaries may execute malicious payloads via loading shared modules.
attack.mitre.org →
T1505.005 Terminal Services DLL Persistence
Adversaries may abuse components of Terminal Services to enable persistent access to systems.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574 Hijack Execution Flow Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the way operating systems run programs.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-43276Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2023-28207Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2024-27825Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2024-27822Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2026-20630Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2024-23233Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2024-27872Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-43446Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-24278Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-43395Same product: Apple Macos

Affected Assets

apple
macos
≤ 13.7 · 14.0 — 14.7

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 10 hardening rules · 6 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

—

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

CM-6 Configuration Settings good match

Establishes restrictive configuration settings that can define and lock down approved search paths.

CM-7 Least Functionality good match

Least functionality directly restricts execution of commands or loading of libraries to only approved capabilities, stopping untrusted sources from being used.

SC-18 Mobile Code good match

Mobile code control explicitly defines and enforces acceptable sources and technologies for code/commands loaded at runtime.

SI-3 Malicious Code Protection good match

Malicious code protection mechanisms block execution or loading of code from untrusted sources before it can run.

AC-3 Access Enforcement partial match

Enforces approved authorizations so that only intended actors can place or modify elements in the search path.

AC-6 Least Privilege partial match

Limits privileges so unintended actors cannot write to or control directories in the product's search path.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-05 mostly match
prevents

Explicitly prevents execution of unauthorized software, directly blocking untrusted commands or libraries.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure-development practices directly address design of search paths and resource loading.

ID.RA-09 partial match
prevents

Assessing authenticity/integrity before acquisition reduces use of untrusted sources for commands/libraries.

PR.PS-01 partial match
prevents

Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search-path settings and reduce exposure.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing can detect uncontrolled search-path issues but does not prevent them by itself.

A.8.19 Installation of software on operational systems partial match
mitigates

Restricting software installation reduces the chance that an attacker-controlled path element is introduced into the search path.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
mitigates

Secure development lifecycle practices include controls on external code and command execution paths.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
prevents

Application security requirements can mandate validation of external inputs and libraries.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
mitigates

Secure system architecture and engineering principles require explicit control over search paths and resource locations.

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
prevents

Secure coding practices directly address the use of fixed or controlled search paths that can be influenced by unintended actors.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (4 rules)
  • V-248568 OL 8 system commands must be owned by root. prevents CWE-114
  • V-248567 OL 8 system commands must have mode 755 or less permissive. prevents CWE-114
  • V-248569 OL 8 system commands must be group-owned by root or a system account. prevents CWE-114
Windows 10 (1 rule)
  • V-220828 The default autorun behavior must be configured to prevent autorun commands. prevents CWE-114
Windows 11 (1 rule)
  • V-253387 The default autorun behavior must be configured to prevent autorun commands. prevents CWE-114
Windows Server 2016 (1 rule)
  • V-224933 The default AutoRun behavior must be configured to prevent AutoRun commands. prevents CWE-114
Windows Server 2019 (1 rule)
  • V-205805 Windows Server 2019 default AutoRun behavior must be configured to prevent AutoRun commands. prevents CWE-114
Windows Server 2022 (1 rule)
  • V-254353 Windows Server 2022 default AutoRun behavior must be configured to prevent AutoRun commands. prevents CWE-114

References