Apple Multiple Products Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
CVE-2024-44309 is a medium-severity improper neutralization of input during web page generation vulnerability in Safari from Apple, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. The record lists versions 18.1.1, 18.1 as the first without the flaw, so updating Safari to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on November 21, 2024, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.
Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.
What to do
- Update Safari to 18.1.1 or 18.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update iOS and iPadOS to 17.7.2 or 18.1.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update macOS to 15.1.1 or 15.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- CISA's required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- Read the advisory on support.apple.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
- Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Safari | before 18.1.1; before 18.1 | 18.1.1, 18.1 |
| Apple | iOS and iPadOS | before 17.7.2; before 18.1.1 | 17.7.2, 18.1.1 |
| Apple | macOS | before 15.1.1; before 15.1 | 15.1.1, 15.1 |
| Apple | visionOS | before 2.1.1; before 2.1 | 2.1.1, 2.1 |
| Apple | iphone_os | before 17.7; 18.0 up to, but not including, 18.1 | 17.7, 18.1 |
| Apple | ipad_os | before 17.7; 18.0 up to, but not including, 18.1 | 17.7, 18.1 |
| Debian | Debian Linux | 11.0 | Not stated |
| Apple | iPadOS | before 17.7.2; 18.0 up to, but not including, 18.1.1 | 17.7.2, 18.1.1 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- RequiredA user must take an action such as opening a file or link.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- LowSome restricted data can be read.
- Integrity
- LowLimited modification of data is possible.
- Availability
- LowPerformance or availability is reduced.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 6.3 | Medium | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 6.3 | Medium | CISA (ADP) |
Official 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.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation
The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples of libraries and frameworks that make it easier to generate properly encoded output include Microsoft's Anti-XSS library, the OWASP ESAPI Encoding module, and Apache Wicket.
- Understand all the potential areas where untrusted inputs can enter your software: parameters or arguments, cookies, anything read from the network, environment variables, reverse DNS lookups, query results, request headers, URL components, e-mail, files, filenames, databases, and any external systems that provide data to the application. Remember that such inputs may be obtained indirectly through API calls.
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
More Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerabilities (CWE-79)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Third-party and government advisories
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Nov/16Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2024-44309US Government Resource
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in Safari
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
Recent Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
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