Description

A newly discovered and patched vulnerability in Apple's iOS and macOS could bypass the Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC)framework, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive user data. Tracked as CVE-2024-44131 (CVSS score: 5.3), the flaw exists in the FileProvider component, which manages file operations, including those for iCloud and third-party cloud services. Discovered by Jamf Threat Labs, the vulnerability enables a malicious app to bypass TCC protections and access data without triggering user alerts. TCC is designed to notify users when apps request access to sensitive information, such as GPS, contacts, and photos. However, this flaw allows a malicious app running in the background to manipulate symlinks while copying or moving files within the Files app, thereby redirecting files to locations controlled by the attacker. The attack leverages the elevated privileges of the fileproviderd daemon, which handles file operations. By inserting a symlink during the file copying process, an attacker can access files such as Health data, iCloud backup, and more without detection. The exploit does not trigger any TCC prompts, undermining user trust and posing significant privacy risks. While the vulnerability affects multiple data types, the severity varies depending on the system process executing the file operation. Apple has since addressed the issue in updates for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15, improving symlink validation to prevent this exploit.