CVE-2024-40834

Vulnerability

Details

CVE-2024-40834 is a logic issue in the Shortcuts app on macOS that could allow a shortcut to bypass sensitive app settings. The root cause is a missing user consent prompt, which was the intended security control to block unauthorized modifications. Apple addressed the issue by adding an additional prompt to ensure user approval is obtained before changes are made [1][4].

Exploitation

An attacker who can cause a user to run a crafted shortcut (e.g., via social engineering or by leveraging another vulnerability to inject a shortcut) could bypass the settings that normally restrict certain actions. No authentication is needed beyond the user running the shortcut, and no special network position is required. The bug is triggered locally when the shortcut attempts to modify sensitive settings.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the malicious shortcut to change Shortcuts app settings without the user's knowledge or consent. Depending on the modified settings, this could lead to unauthorized actions, such as enabling shortcuts to access private information or perform privileged operations. The impact is limited to the Shortcuts environment but could be used as a stepping stone for further attacks.

Mitigation

Apple has released patches for this issue in macOS Monterey 12.7.6, macOS Ventura 13.6.8, and macOS Sonoma 14.6 [1][4]. Users should update their systems to the latest available version to mitigate the vulnerability. There is no known workaround, and the issue is not currently listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.