CVE-2025-24215 is a vulnerability identified in Apple iPadOS and related macOS versions that allows a malicious application to access private information due to insufficient access control checks (classified under CWE-284). The vulnerability was addressed by Apple through improved validation mechanisms in iPadOS 17.7.6, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.5. The flaw permits an unprivileged attacker to exploit the system by convincing a user to interact with a malicious app, which then can bypass certain access restrictions to read sensitive data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level, 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 confidentiality impact (C:H), no integrity impact (I:N), and no availability impact (A:N). This means the attacker must have local access and trick the user into interacting with the app, but once done, the attacker can access private information without altering data or system availability. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date. The vulnerability primarily affects confidentiality and is mitigated by applying the provided OS updates. The root cause is related to improper enforcement of access controls, allowing unauthorized data access by malicious applications.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-24215 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or private information stored or accessible on iPadOS devices. This can lead to privacy violations, data leakage, and potential compliance issues with GDPR and other data protection regulations. Since the vulnerability requires user interaction and local access, the risk is somewhat mitigated by organizational controls, but insider threats or social engineering attacks could exploit this. The impact on integrity and availability is negligible, but confidentiality breaches can damage organizational reputation and lead to regulatory penalties. Organizations with mobile workforces relying on Apple iPads for sensitive communications or data processing are particularly vulnerable. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but delayed patching could increase exposure. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of managing app installation policies and user training to prevent malicious app execution.

1. Apply the security updates released by Apple immediately: iPadOS 17.7.6 and corresponding macOS patches. 2. Enforce strict app installation policies using Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to restrict installations to trusted sources such as the Apple App Store. 3. Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted applications and the importance of avoiding suspicious apps or links. 4. Implement endpoint protection solutions that can detect and block malicious app behavior on iPadOS devices. 5. Monitor device logs and network traffic for unusual access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools to limit the exposure of sensitive information on mobile devices. 7. Regularly audit device compliance and patch status across the organization’s Apple device fleet. 8. Consider additional access controls or encryption for highly sensitive data stored on iPads to reduce the impact of unauthorized access.