CVE-2025-30438 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple tvOS and related Apple operating systems including visionOS, macOS Ventura, iOS, iPadOS, macOS Sequoia, and macOS Sonoma. The vulnerability allows a malicious application to dismiss or suppress the system notification that appears on the Lock Screen when a recording is started. This notification is a security feature designed to alert users that their device is actively recording, thereby providing transparency and preventing covert surveillance. The root cause relates to insufficient access restrictions (CWE-284) that enable unauthorized apps to interfere with system-level notifications. The issue has been addressed by Apple through improved access controls in the specified OS versions (visionOS 2.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, tvOS 18.4, iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.5). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity with a 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), no confidentiality impact (C:N), high integrity impact (I:H), and no availability impact (A:N). This means an attacker must have local access and trick a user to initiate the recording, but can then suppress the notification, potentially enabling covert recording without the user’s awareness. No known exploits are currently in the wild. This vulnerability primarily impacts the integrity of user notifications and trust in device security mechanisms rather than confidentiality or availability. It is particularly relevant for environments where user privacy and surveillance detection are critical.

For European organizations, especially those handling sensitive or confidential information, this vulnerability poses a risk to user privacy and trust. The ability of a malicious app to suppress recording notifications could facilitate covert surveillance or unauthorized recording of meetings, calls, or other sensitive interactions on Apple devices. This undermines compliance with European data protection regulations such as GDPR, which emphasize transparency and user consent for data processing activities. Enterprises relying on Apple ecosystems for communication and collaboration may face increased insider threat risks or targeted attacks exploiting this vulnerability. Although the attack requires local access and user interaction, the impact on integrity and user trust can be significant, potentially leading to reputational damage and legal consequences if covert recordings are made without consent. The vulnerability also affects personal devices used in professional contexts, increasing the attack surface. However, the lack of known exploits and the requirement for local access somewhat limit the immediate widespread impact.

European organizations should prioritize updating all affected Apple devices to the patched OS versions listed by Apple (visionOS 2.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, tvOS 18.4, iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5) as soon as possible to enforce the improved access restrictions. Additionally, organizations should implement strict application vetting and control policies to prevent installation of untrusted or malicious apps, especially on devices used in sensitive environments. Employ Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce OS updates and restrict app permissions related to recording capabilities. User awareness training should emphasize the importance of recognizing recording notifications and the risks of installing unverified apps. For high-security environments, consider disabling or restricting recording features where feasible. Regular audits and monitoring for unusual app behavior or attempts to suppress notifications can help detect exploitation attempts. Finally, organizations should review and update privacy policies and incident response plans to address potential covert recording scenarios.