CVE-2025-30458: Apple macOS Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-30458 Overview

CVE-2025-30458 is a permissions vulnerability in Apple macOS that allows applications to bypass sandbox restrictions and read files outside their designated sandbox environment. The vulnerability stems from insufficient permission restrictions in the macOS sandbox implementation, enabling malicious applications to access sensitive data that should be protected by the operating system's security boundaries.

Critical Impact

Applications can escape sandbox restrictions and access arbitrary files on the system, potentially exposing sensitive user data, credentials, and system configuration files.

Affected Products

• Apple macOS versions prior to macOS Sequoia 15.4
• Apple macOS Sequoia

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-31 - CVE-2025-30458 published to NVD
• 2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30458

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability exists within the macOS sandbox enforcement mechanism, which is designed to isolate applications and limit their access to system resources. The flaw allows a sandboxed application to circumvent these protections and read files outside its permitted directory scope. This type of sandbox escape can be leveraged by malicious applications distributed through various channels to exfiltrate sensitive information from the target system.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 (Out-of-Bounds Read), indicating that the underlying issue involves improper boundary checking that allows unauthorized memory or file access operations. In the context of macOS sandbox security, this manifests as applications being able to traverse outside their sandboxed environment to access protected file system areas.

Root Cause

The root cause is an insufficient permissions restriction within the macOS sandbox subsystem. The sandbox mechanism failed to properly validate and enforce file access boundaries, allowing applications to specify file paths that resolve to locations outside the sandbox container. This permissions gap enables read access to files that should be inaccessible to sandboxed processes.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, meaning exploitation can be achieved through remotely delivered malicious applications. An attacker could distribute a malicious application that, once executed on a target system, leverages this vulnerability to:

1. Enumerate files outside the sandbox container
2. Read sensitive configuration files and credentials
3. Access user documents and private data
4. Gather system information for further exploitation

The vulnerability requires no user interaction beyond the initial application execution and no special privileges, making it particularly dangerous for systems that may install applications from untrusted sources.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30458

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual file access patterns from sandboxed applications attempting to read files in /Users, /etc, or other protected directories
• Sandbox violation logs indicating permission boundary crossings
• Applications accessing files outside their designated container directories
• Unexpected read operations on sensitive system configuration files

Detection Strategies

• Monitor sandbox violation events in the macOS Unified Log using log show --predicate 'subsystem == "com.apple.sandbox"'
• Implement file integrity monitoring on sensitive directories to detect unauthorized access
• Use endpoint detection solutions to track application file access behaviors
• Review application entitlements and compare against actual file system access patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced sandbox logging in macOS for detailed violation tracking
• Deploy SentinelOne agents to detect anomalous file access behaviors from sandboxed applications
• Monitor for applications attempting to access paths containing ../ traversal sequences
• Establish baseline file access patterns for critical applications to identify deviations

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30458

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all affected macOS systems to macOS Sequoia 15.4 or later immediately
• Review recently installed applications for potential malicious behavior
• Audit file access logs for any signs of sandbox escape exploitation
• Restrict installation of applications to trusted sources only

Patch Information

Apple has addressed this vulnerability in macOS Sequoia 15.4. The fix implements additional restrictions to properly enforce sandbox permissions and prevent unauthorized file access. System administrators should prioritize deployment of this update across all managed macOS endpoints.

For detailed patch information, refer to the Apple Support Article.

Additional technical details are available in the Full Disclosure Mailing List Post.

Workarounds

• Limit installation of applications to only those from the Mac App Store or verified developers
• Use application whitelisting to prevent execution of unknown applications
• Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement if a system is compromised
• Enable FileVault encryption to protect data at rest in case of unauthorized access attempts

# Verify macOS version and update status
sw_vers -productVersion

# Check for available updates
softwareupdate --list

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

# Review sandbox logs for suspicious activity
log show --predicate 'subsystem == "com.apple.sandbox"' --last 24h