CVE-2025-24109: Apple macOS Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-24109 Overview

CVE-2025-24109 is a downgrade vulnerability in Apple macOS that allows a malicious application to bypass code-signing controls and access sensitive user data. Apple addressed the issue by introducing additional code-signing restrictions in macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, and macOS Ventura 13.7.3. The flaw is classified under [CWE-200] (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) and requires local access with user interaction. Exploitation impacts data confidentiality on affected macOS hosts.

Critical Impact
A local application can leverage a code-signing downgrade condition to read sensitive user data that should be protected by macOS integrity controls.

Affected Products

Apple macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.7.3
Apple macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.7.3
Apple macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.3

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-27 - CVE-2025-24109 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24109

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-24109 is a code-signing downgrade issue in macOS. Apple's security model relies on code-signing to enforce entitlements, sandbox boundaries, and access to Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) protected resources. The downgrade condition allows an application to present code-signing metadata that the operating system evaluates against weaker legacy rules. As a result, the app can obtain access to sensitive user data it would not otherwise be authorized to read.

Apple's advisory states the fix introduces additional code-signing restrictions, closing the evaluation gap that permitted the downgrade. The vulnerability requires a locally executing binary and user interaction, consistent with an installed application scenario rather than remote exploitation.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient enforcement in the code-signing evaluation path. When macOS validated signature attributes for the affected code paths, it accepted characteristics that should have been rejected under current signing policy. This permitted an app to appear to satisfy authorization checks tied to signing identity, granting it access to protected user data stores.

Attack Vector

An attacker must deliver and execute a crafted application on the target macOS host. The application leverages the downgrade condition during code-signing evaluation to access user data protected by macOS privacy controls. No network access is required, and no elevated privileges are needed before exploitation, but the user must run the malicious app. Successful exploitation yields disclosure of sensitive user information without modifying system state or causing denial of service.

No public proof-of-concept is available in the NVD references, and CVE-2025-24109 is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Technical details were referenced in the Full Disclosure mailing list posts dated January 15–17, 2025.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24109

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected macOS applications reading files in user home directories, ~/Library/Application Support/, or other TCC-protected locations without prompting for consent.
Presence of unsigned or ad-hoc signed binaries executing from user-writable paths such as /Users/Shared/ or ~/Downloads/.
Anomalous access to Keychain, Contacts, Calendar, or Photos databases by non-Apple binaries.

Detection Strategies

Monitor Endpoint Security framework events for ES_EVENT_TYPE_NOTIFY_OPEN and ES_EVENT_TYPE_NOTIFY_EXEC events targeting sensitive user data paths.
Baseline code-signing attributes of running processes using codesign -dv --verbose=4 and alert on binaries with legacy or minimal signing metadata.
Correlate application execution with TCC prompt bypasses by reviewing /Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db access telemetry.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest macOS Unified Log entries filtered on the com.apple.securityd and com.apple.TCC subsystems into a centralized SIEM.
Track macOS build versions across the fleet and flag hosts still running versions earlier than 13.7.3, 14.7.3, or 15.3.
Alert on new applications executing before Gatekeeper and XProtect signature updates are confirmed current.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24109

Immediate Actions Required

Update all macOS endpoints to Sequoia 15.3, Sonoma 14.7.3, or Ventura 13.7.3 or later using Software Update or an MDM policy.
Inventory managed macOS devices and prioritize patching for hosts that handle regulated or sensitive user data.
Restrict installation of unsigned or unnotarized applications through Gatekeeper policy enforcement.

Patch Information

Apple released fixes in macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, and macOS Ventura 13.7.3. See the vendor advisories for details: Apple Support Article #122068, Apple Support Article #122069, and Apple Support Article #122070. Patches introduce additional code-signing restrictions that prevent the downgrade evaluation from succeeding.

Workarounds

Enforce Gatekeeper in its default configuration and disallow execution of applications from unidentified developers via spctl policy.
Limit user privileges to standard accounts on shared workstations to reduce the exposure of sensitive data on any single host.
Educate users to avoid downloading and running applications from untrusted sources until affected systems are patched.

bash

# Verify installed macOS version meets the patched baseline
sw_vers -productVersion

# Confirm Gatekeeper is enabled and enforcing signed applications
sudo spctl --status
sudo spctl --master-enable

# Inspect code-signing metadata of a suspect binary
codesign -dv --verbose=4 /path/to/Application.app