CVE-2025-31191 is a vulnerability identified in Apple tvOS and other Apple operating systems such as macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, iOS 18.4, and iPadOS 18.4. The root cause is improper state management within the operating system, which allows a malicious or compromised application to access sensitive user data that it should not be able to access. This vulnerability falls under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) reveals that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is high on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N). This means an attacker can potentially read sensitive data without altering or disrupting system operations. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple through improved state management in the affected operating systems, and patches were released in March 2025. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple platforms, indicating a systemic issue in how sensitive data access is controlled across their OS ecosystem. Given the requirement for local access and user interaction, exploitation is limited to scenarios where an attacker can convince a user to run a malicious app or code locally on the device.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to confidentiality of sensitive user data on Apple devices, including Apple TV units and other Apple platforms. Organizations in sectors such as media, entertainment, broadcasting, and corporate environments using Apple hardware for presentations or content consumption could be targeted to exfiltrate sensitive information. The impact is less severe on critical infrastructure or industrial control systems due to the local access and user interaction requirements. However, the widespread use of Apple devices in European enterprises and consumer markets means that data leakage could lead to privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), and reputational damage. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gather sensitive personal or corporate information, potentially facilitating further attacks or espionage. The lack of impact on integrity and availability reduces the risk of operational disruption but does not diminish the importance of confidentiality breaches in regulated environments.

European organizations should immediately deploy the Apple security updates that address CVE-2025-31191 across all affected devices, including Apple TVs, Macs running Ventura, Sequoia, Sonoma, and iOS/iPadOS devices. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict application control policies to prevent installation of untrusted or unsigned apps, especially on Apple TV devices used in corporate settings. User awareness training should emphasize the risks of installing unknown applications and the importance of verifying app sources. Network segmentation can limit the exposure of Apple devices to untrusted networks, reducing the risk of local exploitation. Monitoring and logging of application behavior on Apple devices can help detect anomalous access to sensitive data. For managed Apple environments, leveraging Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce update compliance and restrict app installations is recommended. Finally, organizations should review data classification and access controls on Apple devices to minimize sensitive data exposure.