macOS Build Review
A build review with an attacker sitting at the keyboard: what a standard user reaches on the Mac, which local escalation path still works, and what the device gives up once it leaves the building. CREST-certified testers, fixed price from £1,880, scoped in 24 hours.
- Unlimited retesting
- No rescheduling or cancellation fees
- Fixed quote within 24 hours
“I would highly recommend EJN Labs to any organisation seeking reliable, detailed, and well-managed penetration testing services, particularly for government or enterprise-level projects.”
Imran SaghirProject Lead, SquareOne“There wasn’t another company we could find that could deliver what we needed in the timeframe we needed. The client loved it, and we got instant ROI from the engagement.”
Dan WilcocksonCo-Founder, CelloriWe start from a standard user account on a machine that has been in the field, not from an MDM policy export. Configuration profiles describe intent; a Mac that has survived two OS upgrades and a change of MDM tells you what is actually enforced.
Apple hardens the Mac. Fleet policy is what quietly undoes it.
The escalation we find on macOS is rarely a kernel bug. It is a privileged helper tool installed by a vendor agent with a weak client check, a script in /usr/local/bin that a standard user can edit and root runs on a schedule, a TCC entry that grants Full Disk Access to a scripting host, or an admin account that every engineer shares.
We also test what the hardware gives up when it leaves the building: FileVault state and recovery key custody, the personal recovery key printed in a ticket two years ago, Find My and Activation Lock, and what target disk or a recovery boot returns on an unencrypted volume.
Findings come back mapped to the CIS Apple macOS Benchmark item and the configuration profile payload that fixes them, so the change lands in MDM rather than on one laptop.
MACOS SPECIFICS
What We Actually Test on a macOS Build
Manual testing from a standard user account against the CIS Apple macOS Benchmarks and the NCSC device guidance, then the escalation and data recovery paths that actually get used.
Patch and support posture
macOS version against the supported release train, deferred updates, Rapid Security Responses, and whether the hardware still receives security updates at all.
Accounts and authentication
Local admin rights, shared and orphaned accounts, the management account created by MDM, screen lock and password policy, and Touch ID or smart card use.
Disk encryption and recovery
FileVault enforcement, who holds the personal and institutional recovery keys, escrow configuration, and what an unencrypted or partially encrypted volume returns.
System integrity and TCC
SIP status, Gatekeeper and notarisation enforcement, Full Disk Access and Accessibility grants, and which applications hold privacy permissions they do not need.
Local privilege escalation
Privileged helper tools and their client validation, launch daemons and agents with writable paths or arguments, sudo rules, and world writable scripts run by root.
MDM and configuration profiles
Which payloads are actually applied, which are removable by the user, enrolment and supervision state, and what happens to the device if it is unenrolled.
Application control
Which applications can run, whether unsigned or ad-hoc signed binaries are blocked, Rosetta and script interpreters, and the quarantine flag in practice.
Network services and sharing
Remote Login, Screen Sharing, File Sharing, Remote Management, AirDrop and the local firewall, plus what the machine advertises on the network it joins.
Secrets and keychain
Keychain and iCloud Keychain exposure, credentials cached by browsers and developer tooling, SSH and cloud keys on disk, and tokens left in shell history.
Logging and detection
Unified log coverage, what the EDR agent recorded during the review, whether it was reachable by a standard user, and whether anyone would have seen it.
METHODOLOGY
What a macOS build finding looks like
Written the way a finding appears in our reports. The example below is reconstructed from publicly documented research, with hosts, paths and identifiers redacted. We do not republish client findings, named or anonymised.
Full Disk Access granted to a scripting host, on a build still exposed to a published integrity bypass
- Affected
- The standard macOS build for the [redacted] team, running two major releases behind the current train.
- What we found
- A management agent had been granted Full Disk Access and its helper executed scripts from a directory any user could write to, so a standard user read every other user mail store and browser profile on a shared Mac. The build was also old enough to remain exposed to a published System Integrity Protection bypass.
- Why it matters
- Any user of a shared Mac reads colleagues mail and saved credentials, and a local attacker can convert that into a change that survives reinstallation of the affected components.
- Fix
- Remove Full Disk Access from general purpose scripting hosts and grant it only to the specific signed binaries that need it through an MDM privacy preferences payload, enforce a maximum operating system lag in MDM, and alert when privacy grants change.
Reconstructed from public research: CVE-2023-32369, known as Migraine, a macOS System Integrity Protection bypass published by Microsoft, and the Apple documentation on privacy preferences policy control.
macOS Build Review: From Scope to Attestation
CREST-aligned methodology built on OWASP Web Security Testing Guide, OWASP ASVS, NIST SP 800-115, and PTES. Each finding maps to all four standards plus your specific compliance regime.
Reconnaissance
Application mapping, technology fingerprinting, content discovery, parameter enumeration, authentication-flow analysis, role-matrix construction.
Vulnerability Assessment
Authenticated and unauthenticated automated scanning across every user role, plus targeted manual checks for known weakness patterns.
Manual Exploitation
Hands-on testing by a CREST-certified pentester. Business-logic exploitation, chained vulnerabilities, privilege escalation, impact validation.
Reporting + Retest
Executive summary, technical report with CVSS scores and reproduction steps, walkthrough call, free retest after remediation, attestation letter.
CREDENTIALS
Verified Accreditations Auditors Accept
Every credential below is independently verifiable. UK procurement teams, FCA supervisors, ISO 27001 / SOC 2 auditors, and cyber insurance underwriters all recognise these standards.
GET YOUR QUOTE
Get a CREST macos build review quote in 24 hours
A fixed-price quote back in one business day, from a named CREST assessor. No sales pipeline, no chasing.
- CREST and IASME accredited. Testing your auditors and clients already recognise.
- Fast-track testing within 24 hours where required. Free retest of every fix included.
- Live findings via your client portal, not a four-week PDF.
- Fixed price from £1,880 for a small, single-scope engagement, agreed up front. Most engagements run £2,940 and up. No day-rate surprises.
Dan WilcocksonCo-Founder, CelloriUnder NDA Further named references available on a scoping call.
- We reply within one business day with a fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
- You approve the scope and we book a start date, usually within 24 hours.
- Live findings land in your client portal as we test, with a free retest of every fix.
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COMPLIANCE READY
Reports Mapped to Every Framework
Findings are explicitly tagged to the relevant control reference. Your audit team submits the report directly without translation work.
ISO 27001:2022
Annex A.8.8 management of technical vulnerabilities plus A.5.15-5.18 and A.8.2-8.5 access control validation.
SOC 2 Type I & II
CC6 logical access, CC7 system operations, CC8 change management evidence.
PCI DSS
Requirement 11.4 application penetration testing across cardholder data environments, including ecommerce penetration testing for online retail platforms.
FCA SYSC
SYSC 4.1.1R, 6.1.1R, 13 mapped to each finding for FCA-regulated firms.
UK GDPR
Article 32 effectiveness testing, customer-data security controls, ICO-acceptable evidence.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Direct certification through our IASME body status, single-vendor delivery.
PRICING
Transparent macOS Build Review Pricing
Pricing depends on the number of builds and roles in scope, how much the estate varies from host to host, and the depth of the configuration review. The day count flexes; the included deliverables stay the same across all engagements.
1 to 2 days
Single user role, basic CRUD application, marketing website with auth. Typically 5-day engagement.
Get a fixed quote2 to 4 days
Multi-role SaaS, business application with payment integration. Typically 8-12 day engagement.
Get a fixed quote4 to 6 days
Multi-tenant platform, complex authorisation matrix, integration-heavy applications. 15-20 day engagement.
Get a fixed quotePart of Technologies We Pen Test. These are examples of the stacks we publish pages for, not a complete list. If yours is not here we still test it. Related pages:
BY SECTOR
macOS Build Review for Your Sector
Sector-specialist scoping for UK businesses with sector-specific compliance regimes and threat models.
Fintech & FCA-Regulated
FCA SYSC, Open Banking FAPI 1.0, PSD2 SCA, payment-flow scrutiny, KYC/AML testing.
Fintech sector pageSaaS Companies
SOC 2 Type I & II evidence, multi-tenant boundaries, role escalation, customer-tenant isolation.
SaaS sector pageLaw Firms
SRA Cyber Standard, privileged data, conveyancing fraud defence, partner-tier procurement.
Law firm sector pageHealthcare
NHS DTAC, DSP Toolkit v6, UK GDPR Article 32, EHR systems, telehealth platforms.
Healthcare sector pageInsurance
FCA / PRA Operational Resilience, cyber underwriting, claims data, broker portals.
Insurance sector pagePublic Sector
CCS / G-Cloud framework, NCSC-aligned, citizen-facing services, PSN-compliance scrutiny.
Public sector pageWHY EJN LABS
What You Get From a macOS Build Review
Six concrete differentiators competitors don’t all match.
CREST-Certified Testers, Verifiable
Every test by a CREST-certified pen tester (CRT, CCT APP, CCT INF where applicable). Verify our company status at crest-approved.org.
24-Hour Startup, Where Required
From signed scope to active testing in a single business day for incident response, audit deadlines, or regulator-driven timelines.
Live Findings, Not 4-Week PDFs
Critical issues reported during testing through your client portal. Your team remediates while testing continues.
Audit-Ready Reports
Executive summary plus full technical report with CVSS scores and explicit framework mappings (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, FCA SYSC).
Free Retests, Standard
Verify remediation of every finding before close-out. Letter of attestation for audit submission included. Most competitors charge £1,500-£3,000 per retest.
UK-Based CREST Testers
Every engagement performed by vetted, UK-based CREST-certified testers, matched to your needs, security clearance, and compliance scope.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
How long does a macOS build review take?
One to two days for a single standard image, two to four days for a developer build alongside the standard one, four to six days for a mixed fleet with several profiles. Reporting is included in the quoted days.
How much does a macOS build review cost in the UK?
From £1,880 for a single build. Most reviews land between £2,940 and £4,720. The quote is fixed before we start and does not move because we found more than expected.
What methodology do you follow?
The CIS Apple macOS Benchmarks and NCSC device security guidance for the configuration review, NIST SP 800-115 and PTES for the attack path work. We test the deviations rather than reprinting the full benchmark output.
Do you need an admin account on the Mac?
No. We ask for a standard user account, because that is what an attacker gets. An admin account speeds up the configuration read, but it is optional and we will tell you what it changes.
Do you review the MDM configuration as well as the device?
Yes. Jamf, Intune, Kandji and Mosyle all express the same controls differently, and most of the findings we raise are fixed in a profile payload rather than on the machine, so the MDM view is part of the review.
Do you test developer Macs differently?
Yes. Developer builds usually carry Full Disk Access for a terminal, local Docker or virtualisation, cloud keys on disk and relaxed application control, so they are worth reviewing as a separate build rather than assuming the standard image applies.
Is this the same as a Cyber Essentials assessment?
No. Cyber Essentials asks whether a control exists. A build review asks whether it holds when someone attacks it, and shows you the path when it does not. The output supports a Cyber Essentials Plus submission.
What is in the report?
An executive summary, every finding with evidence and reproduction steps, the CIS benchmark item it breaks, a fix that names the profile payload or setting, and a letter of attestation you can send to a customer.
Do you retest after we fix the findings?
Yes, unlimited and with no time limit. Retesting is included on every tier, and the report is reissued once the findings are closed.
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Get your Mac builds reviewed
Send us the image or a Mac from the fleet. Fixed quote within 24 hours, CREST-certified testers, unlimited retesting until every finding is closed.
