CVE-2025-31237 is a vulnerability in Apple macOS related to the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) network share mounting process. Specifically, when a macOS system attempts to mount a maliciously crafted AFP share, it may trigger a system termination, effectively causing a kernel panic or crash. This vulnerability stems from insufficient validation or checks during the AFP mount operation, classified under CWE-404 (Improper Resource Shutdown or Release). The issue affects multiple macOS versions prior to the patched releases: Ventura 13.7.6, Sequoia 15.5, and Sonoma 14.7.6. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating high severity, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. This means the attack can be performed remotely over the network without any privileges or user interaction, and it solely impacts availability by causing a denial of service through system termination. No confidentiality or integrity impacts are reported. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on May 12, 2025, with no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication. The fix involves improved validation checks during AFP share mounting to prevent the crafted share from triggering the crash. Since AFP is an older Apple network file sharing protocol, its use is less common than SMB or NFS but remains in use in some environments, particularly legacy or specialized Apple deployments. The vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker controlling a malicious AFP server or a man-in-the-middle capable of injecting crafted AFP shares, leading to disruption of macOS systems that attempt to mount these shares.

For European organizations, the primary impact is denial of service on macOS systems that mount AFP shares from untrusted or compromised servers. This could disrupt business operations, especially in environments relying on AFP for file sharing or backup solutions. Although no data breach or integrity compromise occurs, repeated or targeted exploitation could degrade productivity and availability of critical macOS endpoints or servers. Organizations with mixed macOS and Apple infrastructure, such as creative industries, software development firms, and educational institutions, may face operational interruptions. The lack of required authentication or user interaction lowers the barrier for attackers to cause disruption remotely. While no known active exploitation exists, the public disclosure increases the risk of future attacks. European entities with remote or mobile macOS users connecting to AFP shares over VPN or untrusted networks are particularly vulnerable. The impact is mitigated if AFP usage is minimal or replaced by more modern protocols like SMB. However, legacy systems or specialized workflows still relying on AFP remain at risk.

1. Immediately apply the security updates released by Apple for macOS Ventura 13.7.6, Sequoia 15.5, and Sonoma 14.7.6 or later to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2. Audit network shares and identify any AFP shares in use; consider disabling AFP file sharing if not required or migrating to SMB or other supported protocols. 3. Restrict AFP traffic at network boundaries using firewalls or network segmentation to limit exposure to untrusted or external networks. 4. Monitor network traffic for unusual AFP mount requests or connections to unknown AFP servers to detect potential exploitation attempts. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of mounting unknown or untrusted AFP shares, especially from external sources. 6. Implement endpoint protection solutions that can detect abnormal system crashes or network anomalies related to AFP traffic. 7. For organizations with remote macOS users, enforce VPN and secure access policies to prevent exposure to malicious AFP servers. 8. Maintain an inventory of macOS devices and ensure timely patch management to reduce the attack surface.