CVE-2025-31224 is a logic flaw in Apple macOS privacy preference enforcement that allows an application to bypass certain privacy controls. The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation checks within the macOS privacy subsystem, categorized under CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure). It affects multiple macOS versions prior to Ventura 13.7.6, Sequoia 15.5, and Sonoma 14.7.6, where the issue has been addressed with improved checks. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 reflects a high-severity vulnerability with a local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level (C:H/I:H/A:H). An attacker with limited privileges on a vulnerable system can exploit this flaw to circumvent privacy preferences, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive user data or system capabilities normally restricted by privacy settings. While no public exploits are known, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the sensitive nature of privacy controls and the broad impact on system security. The flaw's exploitation could lead to data exfiltration, unauthorized system modifications, or disruption of services, undermining trust in macOS privacy protections. The issue was reserved in March 2025 and published in May 2025, indicating recent discovery and patch availability. Organizations relying on macOS should prioritize patching to mitigate this threat.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-31224 is substantial, especially for those handling sensitive personal data, intellectual property, or critical infrastructure. The ability of a low-privileged app to bypass privacy preferences threatens confidentiality by exposing protected user data, including potentially sensitive communications, location data, or biometric information. Integrity may be compromised if unauthorized apps alter system settings or data protected by privacy controls. Availability could also be affected if malicious apps disrupt privacy-related services or system components. Given the prevalence of macOS in sectors such as finance, media, government, and technology across Europe, exploitation could lead to data breaches, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), reputational damage, and operational disruptions. The lack of required user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation once local access is obtained, increasing risk in environments where endpoint security is weak or insider threats exist. Although no exploits are currently known, the high impact and ease of exploitation necessitate urgent mitigation to protect European organizations.

1. Immediately apply the official Apple patches for macOS Ventura 13.7.6, Sequoia 15.5, and Sonoma 14.7.6 or later to all affected systems. 2. Conduct an inventory of macOS devices within the organization to ensure all are updated promptly. 3. Restrict local user privileges to the minimum necessary to reduce the risk of low-privileged app exploitation. 4. Implement application whitelisting and monitor for unauthorized or suspicious applications attempting to access privacy-sensitive APIs. 5. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior related to privacy preference bypass attempts. 6. Audit and review privacy preference settings regularly to detect unexpected changes or access patterns. 7. Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted applications and enforce policies limiting software installation rights. 8. Monitor security advisories from Apple and threat intelligence sources for any emerging exploit reports or additional mitigation guidance. 9. Consider network segmentation and enhanced monitoring on macOS endpoints in sensitive environments to contain potential breaches. 10. Prepare incident response plans specific to macOS privacy bypass scenarios to enable rapid containment and remediation.