CVE-2025-24096 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that allows a malicious application to access arbitrary files on the system. The root cause is improper state management within the operating system, which fails to adequately enforce access controls on file resources. This flaw enables an attacker who can convince a user to run a malicious app to bypass normal file access restrictions, potentially exposing sensitive data. The vulnerability does not require elevated privileges but does require user interaction, such as installing or executing the malicious app. The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 reflects a medium severity, with an attack vector classified as local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and user interaction required (UI:R). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity or availability. Apple addressed this issue in macOS Sequoia 15.3 by improving state management to prevent unauthorized file access. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and the affected versions are unspecified but presumably all versions prior to the patch release. This vulnerability falls under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), indicating a failure to properly enforce access control policies. Given the nature of the flaw, attackers must rely on social engineering to get users to run malicious applications, which then can access arbitrary files, potentially leading to data leakage or privacy violations.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-24096 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential files stored on macOS devices. This could include intellectual property, personal data protected under GDPR, or other critical business information. Organizations with employees using macOS laptops or desktops, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, legal, and government, may face increased risk of data breaches. The requirement for user interaction reduces the likelihood of widespread automated exploitation but does not eliminate targeted attacks, especially spear-phishing or supply chain attacks delivering malicious apps. Data confidentiality breaches could lead to regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and operational disruptions. Since integrity and availability are not impacted, the threat is primarily data exposure rather than system disruption. The absence of known exploits in the wild suggests a window of opportunity for organizations to patch before active exploitation occurs.

1. Immediately update all macOS devices to macOS Sequoia 15.3 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. 2. Enforce strict application installation policies, limiting installations to trusted sources such as the Apple App Store or enterprise-approved software repositories. 3. Implement endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting and blocking suspicious application behaviors indicative of unauthorized file access. 4. Educate users on the risks of installing untrusted applications and the importance of verifying app sources to reduce successful social engineering attempts. 5. Utilize macOS built-in security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Full Disk Encryption (FileVault) to add layers of defense. 6. Monitor logs and system behavior for unusual file access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7. For organizations with sensitive data, consider deploying Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools that can detect and prevent unauthorized file exfiltration. 8. Regularly review and update security policies to incorporate lessons learned from emerging macOS vulnerabilities.