CVE-2025-24102: Apple iPadOS Location Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-24102 Overview

CVE-2025-24102 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting Apple iPadOS and multiple macOS versions. The flaw allows an application to determine a user's current location without proper authorization. Apple addressed the issue with improved checks in iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, and macOS Ventura 13.7.3. The vulnerability is categorized under [CWE-200] (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) and tracks location privacy controls in Apple operating systems.

Critical Impact
An app may be able to determine a user's current location without explicit permission, bypassing Apple's location privacy controls.

Affected Products

Apple iPadOS versions prior to 17.7.4
Apple macOS Ventura prior to 13.7.3, macOS Sonoma prior to 14.7.3
Apple macOS Sequoia prior to 15.3

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-27 - CVE-2025-24102 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24102

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability allows an application to determine the user's current location, bypassing the intended location authorization controls in Apple operating systems. Apple's advisory describes the root cause as insufficient validation that was resolved through improved checks. The flaw is classified as [CWE-200] Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor.

Location data is treated as sensitive personal information across iPadOS and macOS, gated by the TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) framework and CoreLocation entitlements. A successful exploitation path circumvents those gating mechanisms, enabling an installed app to query positional data without the user having granted location permission.

The EPSS score is 0.167%, indicating low observed probability of active exploitation. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and no public proof-of-concept code has been associated with this CVE.

Root Cause

Apple has not published low-level technical details for CVE-2025-24102. The vendor advisory attributes the fix to "improved checks," which typically indicates that an internal authorization or validation routine failed to consistently enforce location permission boundaries before returning geolocation data to a calling process.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a malicious or compromised application running on the affected device. Once executed, the app can query the system in a way that returns location information that should otherwise require explicit user consent. Because the vulnerability does not require special privileges or user interaction beyond installing the app, any sideloaded or store-distributed application with the flaw weaponized could expose location data silently.

No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available. Refer to the Apple Support Document #122067, #122068, #122069, and #122070 for vendor-supplied details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24102

Indicators of Compromise

No file-based or network-based indicators of compromise have been published for CVE-2025-24102.
Unexpected CoreLocation API activity from applications that have not been granted location permission via the TCC database.
Apps querying location services while reporting kCLAuthorizationStatusDenied or kCLAuthorizationStatusNotDetermined in user-visible settings.

Detection Strategies

Audit installed applications on iPadOS and macOS endpoints and correlate their declared NSLocationUsageDescription entitlements with observed runtime behavior.
Inspect the macOS TCC database (/Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db) to identify apps accessing location services without corresponding user grants.
Monitor for processes invoking CoreLocation frameworks outside their typical execution pattern.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enforce mobile device management (MDM) policies that report installed OS versions and flag endpoints running pre-patch iPadOS or macOS builds.
Track privacy report data on iPadOS for unexpected location access by third-party apps.
Alert on installations of unsigned or unnotarized applications that subsequently access location services.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24102

Immediate Actions Required

Update affected devices to iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, or macOS Ventura 13.7.3.
Inventory endpoints across the fleet to identify systems running vulnerable Apple OS builds.
Review applications with prior location access and revoke permissions where business justification is absent.

Patch Information

Apple released fixes in iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, and macOS Ventura 13.7.3. Patch details are documented in Apple Support Document #122067, #122068, #122069, and #122070. Apply updates through Software Update or via MDM-managed update workflows.

Workarounds

No vendor-supplied workaround exists. Apply the official Apple updates as the primary remediation.
As an interim measure, restrict installation of untrusted applications on managed Apple devices using MDM allowlists.
Disable Location Services system-wide for users who do not require the feature until patching is complete.

bash

# Verify installed macOS version on managed endpoints
sw_vers -productVersion

# Trigger a software update check
softwareupdate --list
softwareupdate --install --all --restart