Ensure Secure Keyboard Entry Terminal.app Is Enabled

MediumLevel 1Automatedmacos

Description

Secure Keyboard Entry prevents other applications on the system and/or network from detecting and recording what is typed into Terminal. Unauthorized applications and malicious code could intercept keystrokes entered in the Terminal.

How it is checked

Audit method: Shell command

shell

/usr/bin/osascript -l JavaScript <<'EOS'
$.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.Terminal').objectForKey('SecureKeyboardEntry').js
EOS

Expected output: true

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

Profile (preferred): com.apple.Terminal SecureKeyboardEntry = <true/>.

Properties

Operating systems: macos-26
Tags: macosapplications
Reference: CIS Apple macOS 26 Tahoe Benchmark v1.1.0 - 6.4.1 Ensure Secure Keyboard Entry Terminal.app Is Enabled

Check this host

Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.

shell

tmaegis scan --target macos