Microsoft Uncovers Safety Flaw In macOS Highlight That Might Leak Non-public Knowledge

Microsoft’s Risk Intelligence group has identified a now-fixed safety vulnerability in Apple’s macOS Highlight search software that would have allowed unauthorized entry to delicate person knowledge. The difficulty, internally dubbed “Sploitlight”, stemmed from how Highlight dealt with plugin recordsdata and doubtlessly bypassed Apple’s privateness safety framework referred to as Transparency, Consent, and Management (TCC).

The flaw made it attainable for attackers to take advantage of Highlight’s plugin system—elements that usually assist index app content material for search and are confined inside a sandbox atmosphere. Nonetheless, Microsoft’s researchers found a technique to control these plugins to achieve entry to cached knowledge generated by Apple’s AI options.

If exploited, the vulnerability might have uncovered a variety of personal data, together with:

• Exact location knowledge

• Photograph and video metadata

• Facial recognition knowledge from the Photographs app

• Search historical past

• Summaries generated by AI instruments, corresponding to electronic mail content material

• Person preferences and settings

Regardless of the intense implications, Microsoft confirmed that the vulnerability was not actively exploited. Following accountable disclosure practices, the corporate reported its findings to Apple, which shortly addressed the problem.

Apple launched a repair as a part of macOS 15.4 and iOS 18.4, each rolled out on March 31. In response to Apple’s safety documentation, the patch concerned enhancing how the system handles sure kinds of knowledge, serving to to make sure stricter management over plugin conduct. Alongside the Highlight repair, Apple additionally resolved two extra vulnerabilities reported by Microsoft—one associated to symbolic hyperlink validation and one other involving system state administration.

This incident underscores the significance of cross-company collaboration in addressing rising safety threats, particularly as platforms proceed to combine AI and machine studying options. It additionally highlights the worth of normal system updates, as many vulnerabilities are addressed quietly behind the scenes.

For finish customers, no motion is required past guaranteeing that units are updated. The difficulty has been resolved, and Apple’s speedy response prevented the vulnerability from being weaponized in real-world assaults.

Filed in Apple >Computers. Learn extra about Apple, Cybersecurity, macOS, Microsoft, Privacy and Security.