Actively exploited vulnerability
Apple products: cross-site scripting flaw under attack
CVE-2024-44309 · Apple Multiple Products Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability
What is affected
Apple products are found on ordinary personal computers and phones, so this is not only a problem for companies. If you use them and have not updated since the fix was released, you are exposed.
Apple iOS, macOS, and other Apple products contain an unspecified vulnerability when processing maliciously crafted web content that may lead to a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack.
What an attacker can do
This is a cross-site scripting flaw. It lets an attacker plant a script that runs in the browser of anyone who opens the affected page, which lets them steal that person's session or act on their behalf.
- How it is reached
- Over the internet or network
- Access the attacker needs
- No account needed
- Does the victim have to do something?
- Yes, the victim must open or click something
What to do
- Update Apple products now. Open the update or "About" screen, install whatever is offered and restart the app or device, because the fix is not active until you do.
- Turn on automatic updates so the next fix arrives without you having to look for it.
- If your device is too old to receive this update, stop using the affected app for anything sensitive and plan a replacement.
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Vendor advisories and fixes
- support.apple.comsupport.apple.com/en-us/121752
- support.apple.comsupport.apple.com/en-us/121753
- support.apple.comsupport.apple.com/en-us/121754
- support.apple.comsupport.apple.com/en-us/121755
- support.apple.comsupport.apple.com/en-us/121756
How urgent is it
CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on November 21, 2024, which means there is reliable evidence of attacks in the wild. US federal agencies must fix it by December 12, 2024, a deadline that has already passed. That deadline does not bind anyone else, but it shows how seriously the agency rates it.
The EPSS model estimates a 23% probability that this flaw will be exploited somewhere in the next 30 days. That is higher than 98% of all scored vulnerabilities.
Its CVSS severity score is 6.3 out of 10 (medium), as recorded in the US National Vulnerability Database.
Technical description
A cookie management issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in Safari 18.1.1, iOS 17.7.2 and iPadOS 17.7.2, iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1.1, visionOS 2.1.1. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to a cross site scripting attack. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited on Intel-based Mac systems.