CVE-2025-31213: Apple iPadOS Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-31213 Overview

CVE-2025-31213 is an information disclosure vulnerability in Apple iPadOS and macOS caused by insufficient data redaction in system logs. An application running on an affected device can read log entries that contain associated usernames and websites stored in the user's iCloud Keychain. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-532: Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File]. Apple addressed the issue by improving redaction of sensitive fields before they are written to log output. The vulnerability affects iPadOS 17, macOS Ventura, macOS Sonoma, and macOS Sequoia prior to the May 2025 security updates.

Critical Impact
A locally installed application can enumerate website and username pairs stored in iCloud Keychain, enabling targeted phishing and credential-stuffing campaigns against the affected user.

Affected Products

Apple iPadOS versions prior to 17.7.7
Apple macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.5
Apple macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.7.6 and macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.7.6

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-12 - CVE-2025-31213 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2025-05-12 - Apple releases security patches in iPadOS 17.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, and macOS Ventura 13.7.6
2026-04-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31213

Vulnerability Analysis

The issue resides in Apple's system logging subsystem, which recorded keychain-related events without fully redacting sensitive fields. When iCloud Keychain operations were processed, the username and associated website URL were emitted to log streams accessible to applications with standard log-read privileges. Because the data was already decrypted at the point of logging, the protections normally provided by the keychain's encrypted storage were bypassed entirely.

The vulnerability does not require kernel-level access or elevated privileges, only the ability to execute code on the device and consume log output. The exposed metadata reveals which services a victim has accounts for and the exact username used for each, which is precisely the reconnaissance data needed for targeted social engineering.

Root Cause

The root cause is an [CWE-532] failure to apply redaction policies to log messages emitted by the keychain framework. Apple's os_log infrastructure supports marking arguments as private so they are replaced with <private> in log output, but the affected code paths emitted the username and website strings as public values. The fix introduces proper redaction so these fields are masked before reaching persistent log storage.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a malicious or compromised application to be running on the target device with permission to read system logs. The application iterates log entries produced by keychain operations and extracts the cleartext username and website pairs. No user interaction is required once the application is executing. The attacker can then correlate the harvested account inventory with credential databases or use it to craft service-specific phishing pages.

For technical details on the logging behavior, refer to the Apple Security Advisory #122405 and the related Full Disclosure Post May 6, 2025.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31213

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected processes invoking the log command, OSLogStore APIs, or reading files under /var/db/diagnostics/ on macOS endpoints
Applications requesting elevated log-reading entitlements that were not previously observed in the environment
Outbound network connections from non-browser processes to login portals matching usernames observed in keychain entries

Detection Strategies

Audit installed applications on iPadOS and macOS devices to identify any that access the unified logging subsystem without a legitimate diagnostic purpose
Compare device build numbers against the patched releases (iPadOS 17.7.7, macOS 15.5, macOS 14.7.6, macOS 13.7.6) using mobile device management (MDM) inventory queries
Correlate post-compromise phishing attempts with the specific services and usernames stored in users' keychains to identify victims of prior log harvesting

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable endpoint telemetry that captures process execution and file access events for /var/db/diagnostics/ and /var/log/ paths on macOS
Monitor MDM compliance dashboards for devices that remain on pre-May 2025 OS builds and flag them for accelerated patching
Track authentication anomalies, particularly password reset requests and unfamiliar login attempts, against accounts whose credentials were stored in iCloud Keychain on unpatched devices

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31213

Immediate Actions Required

Update all Apple devices to iPadOS 17.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, or macOS Ventura 13.7.6 or later
Inventory third-party applications with log-access entitlements and remove any that are not strictly required
Advise users whose devices ran vulnerable builds to review iCloud Keychain entries and rotate credentials for high-value accounts

Patch Information

Apple released fixes on May 12, 2025 in the following updates: iPadOS 17.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, and macOS Ventura 13.7.6. Patch details are documented in Apple Security Advisory #122716, Apple Security Advisory #122717, and Apple Security Advisory #122718. The fix improves data redaction so that usernames and website fields are masked in log output.

Workarounds

Enforce OS update policies through MDM to ensure all managed Apple endpoints receive the May 2025 security releases
Restrict installation of applications to those from the App Store or vetted enterprise sources until patching is complete
Disable iCloud Keychain synchronization on unpatched devices that handle sensitive credentials and store secrets in an alternative password manager temporarily

bash

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

# Example MDM compliance query to confirm patched iPadOS build
# Target build: 17.7.7 or later
mdmclient QueryDeviceInformation | grep -i OSVersion