A recently discovered security vulnerability, tagged as CVE-2024-44136, has been found within the iOS and iPadOS 17.x operating systems. This dangerous exploit allows an attacker with physical access to a device to potentially disable its stolen device protection features. Apple has addressed this security flaw through the improvement of state management and the release of iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5.

In this post, we'll take a deep dive into the details of CVE-2024-44136, discussing the affected systems, how the exploit works, and how you can prevent your device from being compromised. We'll also provide some useful resources from the original references.

iPadOS 17.x

To check if your device is running an affected version, go to:
(Settings) -> (General) -> (About) -> (Software Version).

Exploit Details

The CVE-2024-44136 vulnerability takes advantage of poor state management in the affected devices and requires physical access to the victim's device.

An attacker with physical access to the device may follow these steps to disable the stolen device protection:

The device's stolen device protection will now be disengaged.

Here's a code snippet showcasing the interaction between the attacker's computer and the victim's device:

# Connection to device in recovery mode
device_connection = connect_to_device(device)

# Set device into recovery state
execute_recovery_state(device_connection)

# Craft a malicious request to exploit CVE-2024-44136
payload = craft_payload('CVE-2024-44136')

# Send the payload to the device
send_payload(device_connection, payload)

# Check if device protection is disabled
if check_device_protection(device_connection) == 'disabled':
    print("Stolen Device Protection successfully disabled!")

Preventative Measures

Apple has patched the CVE-2024-44136 vulnerability in iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5. It is highly recommended to upgrade your device to these safer versions. To update, simply follow these steps:

Tap 'Download and Install.'

4. After the update has been installed, your device will now be running either iOS 17.5 or iPadOS 17.5, which are protected against the CVE-2024-44136 vulnerability.

1. CVE-2024-44136 Official Entry on CVE List

2. Apple Security Advisory for iOS and iPadOS 17.5

3. Apple Security Content for iOS and iPadOS 17.5

Conclusion

The CVE-2024-44136 vulnerability allows an attacker with physical access to a vulnerable device to disable its stolen device protection. It is imperative to update your iOS or iPadOS to version 17.5 to ensure this critical security flaw is patched. Stay vigilant to potential vulnerabilities and always keep your devices up to date with the latest software and security updates.

Timeline

Published on: 01/15/2025 20:15:27 UTC
Last modified on: 03/03/2025 22:45:38 UTC