CVE-2025-24089 Overview
CVE-2025-24089 is a permissions vulnerability affecting iOS and iPadOS that allows malicious applications to enumerate installed apps on a user's device. The vulnerability stems from insufficient permission restrictions that fail to adequately protect information about which applications are installed on the device. Apple addressed this issue by implementing additional restrictions to prevent unauthorized app enumeration.
Critical Impact
A malicious application exploiting this vulnerability can discover which apps are installed on a victim's device, potentially enabling targeted attacks, privacy violations, or fingerprinting of user behavior and interests.
Affected Products
- iOS versions prior to 18.3
- iPadOS versions prior to 18.3
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-01-16 - CVE CVE-2025-24089 published to NVD
- 2026-01-16 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-24089
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The flaw exists in the permission model that governs how applications can query information about other installed applications on the device.
In iOS and iPadOS, apps are typically sandboxed and should have limited visibility into the broader system environment. However, this vulnerability indicates that the permission boundaries were insufficient, allowing an app to probe and enumerate which other applications exist on the device without proper authorization.
App enumeration vulnerabilities are particularly concerning from a privacy perspective. Knowing which apps a user has installed can reveal sensitive information about their health conditions (medical apps), financial status (banking apps), political affiliations, dating preferences, and more. This information can be leveraged for targeted phishing campaigns, social engineering attacks, or building comprehensive user profiles for malicious purposes.
Root Cause
The root cause is a permissions issue where the operating system failed to implement adequate restrictions on application information queries. The iOS/iPadOS permission model did not sufficiently validate or restrict inter-app information disclosure, allowing apps to discover the presence of other installed applications that should have remained private.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based, requiring no user interaction and no special privileges. An attacker would need to distribute a malicious application through legitimate channels (such as the App Store) or via enterprise distribution methods. Once installed, the malicious app could silently enumerate the victim's installed applications without requiring any additional permissions or user awareness.
The attack flow involves:
- User installs a seemingly benign application
- The malicious app leverages the permissions flaw to query app information
- Enumerated app data is collected and potentially exfiltrated
- Attacker uses this information for targeted attacks or profiling
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24089
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual network activity from applications attempting to exfiltrate app enumeration data
- Applications making excessive system queries related to installed software
- Unexpected data transmissions from apps that should not require such access
- Device logs showing abnormal permission usage patterns
Detection Strategies
- Monitor for applications exhibiting unusual behavior patterns related to system information queries
- Implement network traffic analysis to detect potential data exfiltration of device metadata
- Review application behavior using mobile device management (MDM) solutions
- Conduct regular audits of installed applications and their permission usage
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable comprehensive logging on managed iOS/iPadOS devices where possible
- Utilize SentinelOne Singularity Mobile to monitor application behavior and detect anomalous activities
- Implement network monitoring to identify suspicious outbound communications from mobile devices
- Review App Store downloads and enterprise-distributed applications for suspicious behavior
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24089
Immediate Actions Required
- Update all iOS devices to version 18.3 or later immediately
- Update all iPadOS devices to version 18.3 or later immediately
- Review recently installed applications for suspicious behavior
- Conduct a security assessment of enterprise mobile application deployments
Patch Information
Apple has released security updates that address this vulnerability. The fix is included in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Organizations and users should apply these updates as soon as possible. For detailed information about the security content of these updates, refer to the Apple Support Article.
Workarounds
- Limit application installations to trusted and verified sources only
- Remove unnecessary or suspicious applications from devices
- Use mobile device management (MDM) to enforce application whitelisting policies
- Employ SentinelOne Singularity Mobile for enhanced visibility and protection on unpatched devices
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
