CVE-2025-24108 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that stems from insufficient sandbox restrictions, allowing an application to access protected user data without proper authorization. The sandbox is a security mechanism designed to isolate applications and restrict their access to system resources and sensitive data. In this case, the sandbox restrictions were inadequate, enabling an app to bypass these controls and read protected user data. The vulnerability does not require the attacker to have privileges or prior authentication, but it does require local access to the machine and user interaction, such as running or installing the malicious app. The issue affects unspecified versions of macOS prior to the release of macOS Sequoia 15.3, where Apple addressed the problem by implementing additional sandbox restrictions to prevent unauthorized data access. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium severity), with the vector indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), user interaction required (UI:R), unchanged scope (S:U), high impact on confidentiality (C:H), and no impact on integrity or availability (I:N/A:N). No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), highlighting the failure to enforce proper access control. This vulnerability primarily threatens the confidentiality of user data, potentially exposing sensitive information to malicious applications that users might inadvertently run.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk to the confidentiality of sensitive user data on macOS devices. Organizations with employees or systems running macOS versions prior to Sequoia 15.3 could see unauthorized data exposure if a malicious app is installed and executed. This is particularly concerning for sectors handling sensitive personal data, intellectual property, or confidential business information, such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government institutions. The requirement for local access and user interaction limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate insider threat risks or risks from social engineering attacks that trick users into running malicious apps. Data leakage could lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR, reputational damage, and potential financial losses. The absence of impact on integrity and availability reduces the risk of system disruption but does not mitigate the confidentiality breach risk. Since no known exploits are currently active, organizations have a window to apply patches and strengthen controls before potential exploitation emerges.

1. Immediately update all macOS devices to macOS Sequoia 15.3 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. 2. Enforce strict application installation policies, allowing only apps from trusted sources such as the Apple App Store or enterprise-signed applications. 3. Implement endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting and blocking suspicious app behaviors, especially those attempting to access protected user data. 4. Educate users on the risks of installing untrusted applications and the importance of verifying app sources to prevent social engineering attacks. 5. Utilize macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Full Disk Encryption (FileVault) to reduce the risk of unauthorized data access. 6. Monitor system logs and user activity for unusual access patterns or attempts to bypass sandbox restrictions. 7. For high-security environments, consider restricting local user privileges to limit the ability to install or run unauthorized applications. 8. Regularly audit macOS devices for compliance with security policies and patch levels to ensure timely remediation of vulnerabilities.