CVE-2025-31260: Apple macOS Information Disclosure Issue

CVE-2025-31260 Overview

CVE-2025-31260 is a permissions vulnerability in Apple macOS that allows a malicious application to bypass access restrictions and obtain sensitive user data. The flaw stems from improper access control (CWE-284), where the operating system fails to properly enforce permission boundaries, enabling unauthorized data access by local applications.

Critical Impact

A malicious application running locally on an affected macOS system can access sensitive user data that should be protected by system permissions, potentially leading to privacy breaches and data exfiltration.

Affected Products

• Apple macOS versions prior to 15.5 (Sequoia)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-05-12 - CVE-2025-31260 published to NVD
• 2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31260

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents an improper access control flaw in macOS's permission enforcement mechanism. The operating system fails to adequately restrict application access to protected user data, creating a pathway for unauthorized information disclosure.

The attack requires local access to the target system, meaning an attacker would need to either have physical access or have already gained a foothold through another means such as social engineering or a separate vulnerability. Once a malicious application is running on the system, it can leverage this permissions gap to read sensitive user information that should be protected by the operating system's sandboxing and permission controls.

The vulnerability specifically affects the confidentiality of user data without impacting system integrity or availability. This indicates the flaw is limited to information disclosure rather than enabling system modification or denial of service.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper access control (CWE-284) within macOS's permission management system. The operating system failed to implement sufficient restrictions on data access permissions, allowing applications to bypass intended security boundaries. Apple addressed this by adding additional restrictions to properly enforce permission boundaries between applications and protected user data.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to execute a malicious application on the target macOS system. The exploitation scenario involves:

1. An attacker crafts a malicious application designed to exploit the permissions weakness
2. The application is delivered to the victim through social engineering, malicious downloads, or supply chain compromise
3. Once executed, the application leverages the improper access controls to read sensitive user data
4. The attacker can then exfiltrate the obtained data for malicious purposes

The vulnerability requires low privileges to exploit and no user interaction beyond initial application execution, making it relatively straightforward to leverage once an attacker has local access.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31260

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual application access patterns to protected user directories and files
• Applications attempting to read data outside their expected sandbox boundaries
• Unexpected data exfiltration from endpoints running vulnerable macOS versions

Detection Strategies

• Monitor file system access logs for applications accessing protected user data directories
• Implement endpoint detection rules for suspicious inter-application data access patterns
• Deploy behavioral analysis to identify applications exhibiting data harvesting behaviors
• Review application entitlements and permission requests for anomalies

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable and review Unified Logging on macOS systems for permission-related events
• Monitor network traffic for potential data exfiltration from macOS endpoints
• Implement alerting for applications accessing sensitive data stores such as Keychain, Safari data, or user documents
• Regularly audit installed applications for unauthorized or suspicious software

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31260

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all macOS systems to version 15.5 (Sequoia) or later immediately
• Audit systems for potentially malicious applications that may have exploited this vulnerability
• Review and restrict application installation policies to prevent unauthorized software
• Enable Gatekeeper and ensure only signed applications from trusted sources can execute

Patch Information

Apple has released macOS Sequoia 15.5 to address this vulnerability. The fix implements additional restrictions to properly enforce permission boundaries and prevent unauthorized data access. Administrators should prioritize deployment of this update across all managed macOS endpoints.

For detailed patch information, refer to the Apple Security Support Document.

Workarounds

• Restrict application installation to Apple-signed applications only via MDM policies
• Enable and enforce strict Gatekeeper settings to prevent execution of unsigned applications
• Implement application allowlisting to control which software can run on managed systems
• Increase monitoring of macOS endpoints for suspicious application behavior pending patch deployment