CVE-2025-24116 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that enables an application to bypass Privacy preferences due to an access control issue related to sandbox restrictions. Privacy preferences in macOS control access to sensitive user data and system resources, such as location services, camera, microphone, and contacts. The vulnerability arises because the sandboxing mechanism, which is designed to isolate applications and restrict their capabilities, was insufficiently restrictive, allowing an app with limited privileges to circumvent these controls. This flaw was addressed by Apple through additional sandbox restrictions implemented in macOS Sequoia 15.3, Sonoma 14.7.3, and Ventura 13.7.3. The CVSS v3.1 score of 4.4 (medium severity) reflects that exploitation requires local access with low privileges (AV:L/PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality and integrity (C:L/I:L) but not availability (A:N). The vulnerability is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization). No public exploits have been reported, indicating that exploitation is currently theoretical or limited. The issue underscores the importance of robust sandboxing to enforce privacy controls and prevent unauthorized data access by applications.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-24116 is the potential unauthorized access to sensitive user data or system features protected by macOS Privacy preferences. An application exploiting this vulnerability could access or manipulate data such as location, camera, microphone, contacts, or other privacy-sensitive resources without proper user consent. This compromises confidentiality and integrity of user data and may lead to privacy violations, data leakage, or unauthorized surveillance. Although the vulnerability does not affect system availability, the breach of privacy controls can have serious consequences for individuals and organizations, including regulatory compliance issues and reputational damage. Since exploitation requires local access with low privileges, the threat is more relevant in environments where untrusted or malicious applications can be installed or executed, such as shared or multi-user systems, or where attackers have limited foothold. Organizations relying on macOS devices, especially in sectors handling sensitive data (e.g., healthcare, finance, government), are at risk if patches are not applied promptly.

To mitigate CVE-2025-24116, organizations should immediately update affected macOS systems to versions Sequoia 15.3, Sonoma 14.7.3, Ventura 13.7.3, or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Beyond patching, enforce strict application control policies to limit installation and execution of untrusted or unsigned applications. Utilize macOS built-in security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Endpoint Security Framework to monitor and restrict app behaviors. Regularly audit Privacy preference settings and application permissions to detect anomalies. Employ Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to centrally manage and enforce security policies on macOS devices. Educate users about the risks of installing unknown software and encourage the use of vetted applications from trusted sources. For high-security environments, consider additional sandboxing or containerization techniques to isolate applications further. Monitoring for unusual access patterns to privacy-sensitive resources can help detect exploitation attempts early.