CVE-2025-31220 is a privacy vulnerability identified in Apple macOS and iPadOS that allows a malicious application to read sensitive location information without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). It affects multiple macOS versions including Ventura 13.7.6, Sequoia 15.5, and Sonoma 14.7.6, as well as iPadOS 17.7.7. The root cause involves insufficient protection of sensitive location data, which was addressed by Apple through removal or better handling of such data in the affected OS versions. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.5 (medium severity), with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N indicating that exploitation requires local access with low privileges, no user interaction, and results in a high impact on confidentiality only. There is no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, suggesting this is a theoretical or low-likelihood threat at present. The vulnerability primarily threatens user privacy by exposing location data that could be leveraged for tracking or profiling. The fix involves updating to the patched OS versions where the sensitive data exposure has been mitigated.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-31220 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive location information from Apple devices. This can lead to privacy violations, especially for organizations handling sensitive or regulated data, such as those in finance, healthcare, or government sectors. Exposure of location data could facilitate targeted attacks, physical tracking, or profiling of employees or assets. Additionally, under the EU's GDPR, unauthorized access to personal location data can result in significant regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Although the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach alone is significant given the sensitivity of location information. Organizations relying heavily on Apple hardware for mobile or desktop computing should consider this a privacy risk that requires timely remediation to maintain compliance and protect user data.

1. Immediately apply the security updates provided by Apple: macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, and iPadOS 17.7.7. 2. Enforce strict application installation policies to limit the presence of untrusted or potentially malicious apps on corporate Apple devices. 3. Use Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to monitor and control app permissions, especially location access. 4. Conduct regular audits of installed applications and their permissions to detect any unauthorized access attempts to location data. 5. Educate users about the risks of installing unverified apps and the importance of updating their devices promptly. 6. Implement network-level monitoring to detect unusual data exfiltration patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. 7. For highly sensitive environments, consider additional endpoint protection tools that can detect anomalous app behavior related to location data access.