CVE-2025-24238: Apple iPadOS Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-24238 Overview

CVE-2025-24238 is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS. The vulnerability stems from a logic issue in privilege validation checks, allowing malicious applications to gain elevated privileges on affected systems. Apple addressed this vulnerability by implementing improved validation checks across all affected platforms.

Critical Impact

An application can exploit this logic flaw to gain elevated privileges, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with system-level permissions, access sensitive data, or install persistent malware across Apple devices.

Affected Products

• Apple macOS Ventura (versions prior to 13.7.5)
• Apple macOS Sonoma (versions prior to 14.7.5)
• Apple macOS Sequoia (versions prior to 15.4)
• Apple iOS and iPadOS (versions prior to 18.4)
• Apple tvOS (versions prior to 18.4)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-31 - CVE-2025-24238 published to NVD
• 2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24238

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions). The flaw exists in the privilege management subsystem across Apple's operating system family. When an application requests elevated privileges, the system fails to properly validate the legitimacy of the request due to a logic error in the permission checking routine. This allows a malicious application to bypass normal privilege boundaries and gain unauthorized access to protected system resources.

The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core privilege escalation mechanism used across multiple Apple platforms. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain full system access, potentially compromising user data, installing rootkits, or using the compromised device as a pivot point for further attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause is a logic issue in the privilege validation checks within Apple's operating systems. The flaw allows improper handling of permission requests, leading to privilege escalation. Specifically, certain conditions in the permission checking code could be bypassed, allowing an application to inherit or assume elevated privileges without proper authorization. Apple's fix implemented improved checks to ensure that privilege escalation requests are properly validated before being granted.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no privileges or user interaction to exploit. An attacker could craft a malicious application that exploits the logic flaw to elevate its privileges upon execution. The attack scenario would involve:

1. Distribution of a malicious application through various means (phishing, compromised websites, or even App Store if bypassing review)
2. User installation and execution of the malicious application
3. The application exploiting the logic flaw to gain elevated privileges
4. With elevated privileges, the attacker can access protected resources, modify system configurations, or establish persistence

The vulnerability mechanism involves improper validation in the privilege checking logic. When an application makes a privilege escalation request, the system's validation routine contains a logical error that allows the request to succeed under conditions that should normally be denied. This enables applications to gain elevated privileges without proper authorization, effectively bypassing the security boundaries that isolate user-level applications from system-level resources. For detailed technical information, refer to Apple's security advisories and the Full Disclosure posts.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24238

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected privilege escalation events in system logs, particularly applications gaining root or system-level access
• Applications executing with elevated privileges that were not explicitly authorized by the user or administrator
• Unusual system modifications or configuration changes that require elevated privileges
• Suspicious process hierarchies showing user-level applications spawning privileged processes

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system logs for privilege escalation attempts using log stream --predicate 'subsystem == "com.apple.securityd"' on macOS
• Implement endpoint detection rules to identify applications requesting or obtaining unexpected privileges
• Use SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect anomalous privilege escalation patterns indicative of exploitation
• Deploy application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized applications from executing

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for privilege escalation events on all Apple devices in the environment
• Configure SentinelOne agents to alert on suspicious privilege changes and application behavior
• Review system integrity protection (SIP) status and ensure it remains enabled on all macOS systems
• Monitor for applications running with elevated privileges that were not explicitly granted administrative access

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24238

Immediate Actions Required

• Update macOS Ventura to version 13.7.5 or later immediately
• Update macOS Sonoma to version 14.7.5 or later immediately
• Update macOS Sequoia to version 15.4 or later immediately
• Update iOS and iPadOS to version 18.4 or later on all devices
• Update tvOS to version 18.4 or later on all Apple TV devices

Patch Information

Apple has released patches for all affected operating systems. The following security advisories contain detailed patching information:

• Apple Support Advisory #122371 - macOS Ventura 13.7.5
• Apple Support Advisory #122373 - macOS Sonoma 14.7.5
• Apple Support Advisory #122374 - macOS Sequoia 15.4
• Apple Support Advisory #122375 - iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4
• Apple Support Advisory #122377 - tvOS 18.4

Organizations should prioritize patching given the critical nature of this vulnerability and its potential for privilege escalation.

Workarounds

• Restrict installation of applications from untrusted sources by enforcing App Store-only installations where possible
• Enable System Integrity Protection (SIP) on all macOS systems to limit the impact of privilege escalation
• Implement strict application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized applications from executing
• Use mobile device management (MDM) to enforce security policies and rapid deployment of updates

# Check current macOS version
sw_vers

# Verify System Integrity Protection status
csrutil status

# Check for pending software updates
softwareupdate --list

# Install all available security updates
sudo softwareupdate --install --all