CVE-2025-24135 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that allows an application to gain elevated privileges by exploiting improper message validation. The root cause relates to CWE-276, which involves incorrect privilege management, enabling an attacker with limited privileges to escalate their rights on the system. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple in macOS Sequoia 15.3 through improved message validation mechanisms that prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting a high severity level. The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring low attack complexity (AC:L) and low privileges (PR:L), but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the impact is confined to the vulnerable component. The vulnerability affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating that successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to any macOS user with local access. The lack of specified affected versions suggests the issue may impact multiple macOS releases prior to Sequoia 15.3. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for environments where macOS devices are used for sensitive operations or hold critical data, as attackers could leverage this flaw to bypass security controls and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

For European organizations, this vulnerability presents a critical risk, especially in sectors relying heavily on macOS devices such as creative industries, software development, and certain government agencies. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, disruption of services, and potential lateral movement within networks. The ability to escalate privileges locally means that any compromised or malicious insider account could leverage this flaw to gain broader control over affected systems. This could result in data breaches, intellectual property theft, or sabotage of critical infrastructure. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive patching, but the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability necessitates urgent remediation. Organizations with remote or hybrid workforces using macOS devices are particularly vulnerable if endpoint security controls are insufficient. Additionally, regulatory compliance frameworks in Europe, such as GDPR, impose strict requirements on protecting personal data, which could be jeopardized by exploitation of this vulnerability.

1. Immediately update all macOS devices to version Sequoia 15.3 or later, where the vulnerability is patched. 2. Implement strict application whitelisting and endpoint protection to prevent execution of unauthorized or suspicious applications that could attempt privilege escalation. 3. Enforce the principle of least privilege by reviewing and minimizing user and application privileges on macOS systems. 4. Monitor local system logs and security events for unusual privilege escalation attempts or abnormal application behavior. 5. Conduct regular security awareness training for users to recognize and report suspicious activity, even though user interaction is not required for exploitation. 6. Utilize macOS built-in security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Endpoint Security Framework to limit the impact of potential exploits. 7. For organizations with managed macOS fleets, deploy centralized patch management and vulnerability scanning to ensure timely detection and remediation. 8. Consider network segmentation to limit the ability of compromised macOS devices to access sensitive resources. 9. Review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving local privilege escalation on macOS devices.