CVE-2024-54471: A Primer

Introduction

On the 28th of October 2024, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.1, macOS Sonoma 14.7.1, and macOS Ventura 13.7.1. Each release has a corresponding page listing the security content (or rather, the vulnerability patches) included in each release. However, the contents of these pages on release day did not tell the whole story.

On the 11th of December 2024, an entry was added (amongst others): CVE-2024-54471. I found and reported this vulnerability in early July of 2024. It is recommended (by me) that you upgrade to at least these versions of macOS so that your system is patched against it (and the others included in the releases).

In fact, macOS Sequoia 15.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, and macOS Ventura 13.7.2 were all released today. If you can do so, upgrade to those versions, as they include even more patches. It is extremely important to keep your systems up-to-date as soon as possible after updates become available.

Am I (The Reader) Specifically Vulnerable?

Most likely, yes.

Do I (The Reader) Really Need To Upgrade?

Yes, you do. Even if not for the patch for this vulnerability, but all the other patches included in these updates.

What Was The Vulnerability?

That, I cannot say specifically. At least not yet. I plan to reveal details at some point, but definitely not in the near future. Perhaps in several months. Watch this space for updates.