CVE-2025-31182: Apple iPadOS Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-31182 Overview

CVE-2025-31182 is a symlink handling vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems that allows applications to delete files for which they do not have permission. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of symbolic links (symlinks), enabling attackers to bypass file permission checks and perform unauthorized file deletion operations across macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and visionOS platforms.

Critical Impact

An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can leverage a malicious application to delete protected system files or sensitive user data without proper authorization, potentially leading to system instability, data loss, or further privilege escalation.

Affected Products

• Apple iOS and iPadOS (versions prior to 18.4)
• Apple macOS Sequoia (versions prior to 15.4)
• Apple macOS Sonoma (versions prior to 14.7.5)
• Apple macOS Ventura (versions prior to 13.7.5)
• Apple tvOS (versions prior to 18.4)
• Apple visionOS (versions prior to 2.4)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-31 - CVE-2025-31182 published to NVD
• 2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31182

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), indicating that the affected Apple systems fail to properly verify authorization when processing symlink operations. The flaw exists in how the operating system kernel or file system layer handles symbolic link resolution during file deletion operations.

When an application requests to delete a file, the system must verify that the requesting application has appropriate permissions. However, due to the improper symlink handling, an attacker can craft a symbolic link that points to a protected file or directory. When the delete operation follows this symlink, the authorization check is bypassed, allowing the deletion of the target file regardless of the application's actual permissions.

This type of symlink attack (also known as a symlink race or symlink following vulnerability) can be particularly dangerous in multi-user environments or when privileged processes follow links created by unprivileged users.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper handling of symbolic links during file system operations. Specifically, the system fails to perform adequate authorization checks when resolving symlinks during file deletion, allowing a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) style attack or direct symlink following without proper permission validation. Apple addressed this by implementing improved symlink handling logic that ensures proper authorization verification throughout the entire file operation chain.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated through a malicious application installed on the target device. The attacker would:

1. Create a symbolic link pointing from an accessible location to a protected file or directory
2. Trigger a file deletion operation through the malicious application targeting the symlink
3. The system follows the symlink without proper authorization checks
4. The protected target file gets deleted despite the application lacking direct permissions

The vulnerability manifests in symlink resolution during file deletion operations. When a delete operation is performed, the system fails to properly verify authorization after resolving the symbolic link to its target. Technical details are available in the Full Disclosure security posts and Apple security advisories.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31182

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected file deletions in protected system directories or user data locations
• Presence of suspicious symbolic links in temporary directories or application sandboxes
• Application log entries showing file operations on symlinked paths
• System integrity protection alerts or file system inconsistencies

Detection Strategies

• Monitor file system events for symlink creation followed immediately by deletion operations
• Implement behavioral analysis to detect applications attempting to access files outside their sandbox via symlinks
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions that track file permission violations and symlink manipulation patterns
• Enable comprehensive logging for file system operations and analyze for anomalous symlink usage

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Unified Logging on macOS to capture detailed file system events and analyze for symlink-related anomalies
• Configure SentinelOne agents to monitor for suspicious symlink creation patterns and unauthorized file deletions
• Implement file integrity monitoring (FIM) on critical system directories to detect unexpected file removals
• Review application entitlements and sandbox configurations regularly for potential escape vectors

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31182

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all affected Apple devices to the patched versions immediately: iOS/iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, tvOS 18.4, and visionOS 2.4
• Audit installed applications and remove any untrusted or unnecessary software that could potentially exploit this vulnerability
• Enable automatic updates across all Apple devices in the organization to ensure timely deployment of security patches
• Review recent file deletion logs for any suspicious activity that may indicate exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Apple has released security patches addressing this vulnerability across all affected platforms. Organizations should apply the following updates:

• iOS and iPadOS 18.4 - See Apple Support Article #122371
• macOS Sequoia 15.4 - See Apple Support Article #122373
• macOS Sonoma 14.7.5 - See Apple Support Article #122374
• macOS Ventura 13.7.5 - See Apple Support Article #122375
• tvOS 18.4 - See Apple Support Article #122377
• visionOS 2.4 - See Apple Support Article #122378

Workarounds

• Restrict application installations to App Store verified applications only until patches can be applied
• Implement strict Mobile Device Management (MDM) policies to control application permissions and capabilities
• Enable System Integrity Protection (SIP) on macOS systems if not already enabled to protect critical system files
• Consider using application allowlisting to prevent execution of untrusted applications

# Verify macOS System Integrity Protection status
csrutil status

# Check current macOS version for patch verification
sw_vers -productVersion

# List recent file deletions in system logs (macOS)
log show --predicate 'eventMessage contains "delete"' --last 24h