CVE-2025-24221 is a vulnerability identified in Apple’s iOS and iPadOS operating systems that allows unauthorized access to sensitive keychain data through iOS backups. The keychain is a secure storage mechanism for passwords, cryptographic keys, and other sensitive credentials. Due to insufficient data access restrictions in the backup process, attackers can potentially extract confidential keychain items from device backups without requiring authentication or user interaction. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), indicating a failure to properly enforce access controls. The issue affects unspecified versions prior to the patched releases in visionOS 2.4, iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and iPadOS 17.7.6, where Apple improved data access restrictions to mitigate this risk. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 reflects a network attack vector with low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed, with a high impact on confidentiality but no impact on integrity or availability. Although no exploits have been observed in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk because keychain data often contains credentials for email, VPNs, apps, and other sensitive services. Attackers gaining access to backups—whether through physical access, malware, or compromised backup storage—could extract this data to escalate privileges or conduct further attacks. This vulnerability underscores the importance of securing backup data and timely patching of Apple devices.

For European organizations, the exposure of sensitive keychain data through backups can lead to severe confidentiality breaches, including unauthorized access to corporate email accounts, VPNs, and other critical services protected by credentials stored in the keychain. This could facilitate lateral movement within networks, data exfiltration, and espionage activities, especially targeting sectors like finance, government, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability directly but compromises trust in device security and data protection compliance. Given the widespread use of Apple devices in Europe, particularly in business environments, the risk of data leakage and subsequent targeted attacks is significant. Organizations relying on device backups for disaster recovery or device replacement must ensure these backups are securely stored and encrypted to prevent exploitation. Failure to patch and secure backups could result in regulatory penalties under GDPR due to unauthorized access to personal and sensitive data.

1. Immediately update all affected Apple devices to the patched versions: visionOS 2.4, iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, or iPadOS 17.7.6. 2. Enforce strict access controls and encryption on all backup storage locations, whether local or cloud-based, to prevent unauthorized access. 3. Limit the creation and retention of backups to only what is necessary and ensure backups are stored securely with strong encryption keys managed separately from the backup data. 4. Educate users and administrators about the risks of backup data exposure and implement policies to restrict physical and logical access to devices and backup repositories. 5. Monitor for unusual access patterns or attempts to extract backup data, integrating logs from backup systems into security information and event management (SIEM) tools. 6. For organizations using Mobile Device Management (MDM), enforce policies that require devices to be updated promptly and restrict backup options if possible. 7. Review and audit existing backup procedures to ensure compliance with security best practices and regulatory requirements.