CVE-2021-30713

CVE-2021-30713 is a permissions/authorization flaw (CWE-862) in Apple macOS that allows a malicious application already running on a machine to bypass the user's Privacy preferences, which govern which apps may access protected user data such as files, camera, microphone, and other consent-protected resources. The flaw is triggered locally: a malicious app that a user has launched can silently circumvent the Privacy controls without the usual approval prompt. Successful exploitation grants the attacker access to user data that should have required explicit user consent, with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability per its 7.8 CVSS score. Any Mac running a version of macOS prior to the macOS Big Sur 11.4 fix is affected. Apple acknowledged a report that the issue was being actively exploited in the wild, and CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-11-03; the EPSS score of 7.0% (94th percentile) further indicates meaningful near-term exploitation risk.

What to do: Upgrade affected Macs to macOS Big Sur 11.4 or later immediately, as this issue is listed in CISA's KEV catalog with active exploitation confirmed. Audit Macs for unknown or recently installed applications that accessed protected data (files, camera, microphone) without a consent prompt, and prioritize internet-facing and high-value endpoints. Since Apple shipped this fix alongside other actively exploited zero-days in the same release cycle, ensure devices are fully updated rather than partially patched.