CVE-2025-31195 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS, specifically related to the sandboxing mechanism. Sandboxing is a critical security feature designed to isolate applications and restrict their access to system resources and user data, thereby limiting the potential damage from malicious or compromised apps. This vulnerability allows an application to break out of its sandbox, effectively bypassing these restrictions. The issue was addressed in macOS Sequoia 15.4 by adding additional logic to the sandbox enforcement, indicating that the flaw was due to insufficient or flawed sandbox boundary checks. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N), the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), and user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact is high on integrity (I:H) but no impact on confidentiality (C:N) or availability (A:N). This suggests that an attacker could manipulate or alter system or application state beyond their sandbox but cannot read confidential data or cause denial of service. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and the affected versions are unspecified, but the fix is included in macOS Sequoia 15.4. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which relates to improper access control. Overall, this vulnerability represents a significant risk because sandbox escape can lead to privilege escalation or unauthorized system modifications, undermining the security model of macOS applications.

For European organizations, especially those using macOS devices in corporate environments, this vulnerability poses a risk of local attackers or malicious insiders exploiting sandbox escape to gain unauthorized control or manipulate system integrity. This could lead to installation of persistent malware, unauthorized changes to system configurations, or lateral movement within a network if combined with other vulnerabilities. Although exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the widespread use of macOS in sectors like creative industries, software development, and increasingly in enterprise environments means that the attack surface is non-trivial. The integrity impact could compromise sensitive business processes or intellectual property. Furthermore, organizations relying on macOS for secure application execution or sandboxing as part of their security posture may find this vulnerability undermines those controls. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits post-disclosure. Organizations in Europe must consider this vulnerability in their patch management and endpoint security strategies to prevent potential exploitation.

1. Immediate deployment of the macOS Sequoia 15.4 update across all affected systems to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2. Implement strict local access controls and endpoint security measures to limit the ability of untrusted users or applications to execute code locally. 3. Employ application whitelisting and restrict installation of untrusted or unsigned applications to reduce the risk of malicious apps attempting sandbox escape. 4. Enhance user awareness and training to minimize risky behaviors that require user interaction for exploitation. 5. Monitor endpoint logs and behavior for signs of sandbox escape attempts or unusual application behavior, leveraging advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools. 6. For organizations using macOS in critical environments, consider additional sandboxing or containerization layers and regularly audit sandbox policies and configurations. 7. Coordinate with Apple security advisories for any subsequent updates or mitigations and integrate vulnerability scanning into asset management to identify unpatched systems promptly.