The macOS system must prohibit user installation of software into /users/.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-268566 | APPL-15-005080 | SV-268566r1131250_rule | CCI-003980 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| Users must not be allowed to install software into /users/. Allowing regular users without explicit privileges to install software presents the risk of untested and potentially malicious software being installed on the system. Explicit privileges (escalated or administrative privileges) provide the regular user with explicit capabilities and control that exceeds the rights of a regular user. [IMPORTANT] ==== Apple has deprecated the use of application restriction controls (https://github.com/apple/device-management/blob/eb51fb0cb9626cac4717858556912c257a734ce0/mdm/profiles/com.apple.applicationaccess.new.yaml#L67-L70). Using these controls may not work as expected. Third party software may be required to fulfill the compliance requirements. ==== | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Apple macOS 15 (Sequoia) Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2026-02-06 | |||
Related Frameworks
1 mapping across 4 frameworks
Related Frameworks
SCF0 mappings
No source states a mapping between these directly.
Also reachable in 3 hops (3) derived by us, not asserted by any source
Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- SCF Secure Traceability Relationship Mapping (STRM)2026.2intersects
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- SCF Secure Traceability Relationship Mapping (STRM)2026.2intersects
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- SCF Secure Traceability Relationship Mapping (STRM)2026.2intersects
NIST 800-530 mappings
No source states a mapping between these directly.
Also reachable in 2 hops (42) derived by us, not asserted by any source
Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)3our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)3intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2our copyintersects(normalised)
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)2intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
+32 more (top 10 by confidence shown)
CCI1 mapping
CCI-003980
1.00
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
NIST CSF 2.00 mappings
No source states a mapping between these directly.
Also reachable in 4 hops (1) derived by us, not asserted by any source
Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.
PR.PS-05
0.50
- DISA STIG Benchmark (XCCDF)V1R7intersects(normalised)
- DISA CCI List2025-01-23equal to(normalised)
- SCF Secure Traceability Relationship Mapping (STRM)2026.2intersects
- NIST OLIR Informative ReferenceOLIR 153 (2025-04-07)intersects(normalised)SCF Focal Document mapping (catalog)SCF 2026.2 focalintersects(normalised)
Details
Check Text (C-268566r1131250_chk)
Verify the macOS system is configured to prohibit user installation of software into /users/ with the following command:
/usr/bin/osascript -l JavaScript << EOS
function run() {
let pref1 = ObjC.unwrap($.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.applicationaccess.new')\
.objectForKey('familyControlsEnabled'))
let pathlist = $.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.applicationaccess.new')\
.objectForKey('pathBlackList').js
for ( let app in pathlist ) {
if ( ObjC.unwrap(pathlist[app]) == "/Users/" && pref1 == true ){
return("true")
}
}
return("false")
}
EOS
If the result is not "true", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-72497r1034637_fix)
Configure the macOS system to prohibit user installation of software into /users/ by installing the "com.apple.applicationaccess.new" configuration profile.