Apple Patches Flaw That Allows Kernel Security Bypassing

Microsoft Uncovered Flaw That Affects macOS System Integrity Protection Feature Akshaya Asokan (asokan_akshaya) • January 14, 2025

Apple patched a vulnerability that allows hackers to bypass a key security feature in macOS through third-party kernel extensions to infect systems with malware.

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Microsoft uncovered the vulnerability that impacts Apple's System Integrity Protection, a key security feature that limits operations affecting system integrity. When exploited, the flaw could enable hackers to install rootkits, create malware with privileged access and widen the attack surface.

Apple patched the flaw, tracked as CVE-2024-44243, on Dec. 11 after Microsoft alerted the company.

The flaw stems from how System Integrity Protection interacts with entitlements that manage protections and access to macOS apps. Specifically, the flaw is linked to private entitlements used for system updates, debugging capabilities, memory tracing and security extensions.

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