CVE-2025-24174 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that allows an application to bypass the system's Privacy preferences, potentially granting unauthorized access to protected user data or system resources. The root cause is insufficient enforcement of privacy checks within macOS, which could allow a malicious or compromised app to circumvent restrictions designed to protect sensitive information. This vulnerability affects multiple macOS versions prior to the patched releases: macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, and macOS Ventura 13.7.3. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, indicating an exposure of sensitive information. According to the CVSS v3.1 scoring, it has a score of 7.7 (High), with an attack vector of local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality and integrity (C:H/I:H), but no impact on availability (A:N). This means an attacker with local access can exploit the vulnerability without needing elevated privileges or user interaction, potentially accessing or modifying sensitive data protected by macOS privacy settings. Apple addressed the issue by implementing improved checks in the affected privacy enforcement mechanisms. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the sensitive nature of the data protected by Privacy preferences. Organizations using macOS devices should apply the security updates promptly to mitigate this risk.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-24174 is unauthorized access to sensitive user data or system resources that are normally protected by macOS Privacy preferences. This can lead to significant confidentiality breaches, exposing personal information, credentials, or other sensitive data to malicious applications. The integrity of protected data may also be compromised if an attacker modifies information or settings without authorization. Since the vulnerability does not affect availability, system uptime is not directly impacted. However, the breach of privacy controls can undermine user trust and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA. For organizations, this vulnerability can facilitate insider threats or local attackers escalating their access, potentially leading to data leaks, intellectual property theft, or further lateral movement within a network. The ease of exploitation without requiring privileges or user interaction increases the risk, especially in environments where multiple users share devices or where endpoint security is lax. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks once exploit code becomes available.

To mitigate CVE-2025-24174, organizations and users should immediately update affected macOS systems to the patched versions: macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, or macOS Ventura 13.7.3. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict local access controls to limit the number of users who can install or run untrusted applications. Implement application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions that monitor and restrict unauthorized app behavior, especially those attempting to access privacy-protected resources. Regularly audit installed applications and their permissions to detect anomalies. Employ macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and enable FileVault encryption to protect data at rest. Educate users about the risks of installing unverified software and the importance of applying system updates promptly. For high-security environments, consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools that can identify suspicious local privilege escalation or privacy bypass attempts. Finally, maintain an incident response plan that includes procedures for handling potential data exposure resulting from such vulnerabilities.