CVE-2025-31255 represents a critical authorization vulnerability identified in Apple’s macOS and other Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS. The root cause is an authorization issue due to improper state management within the OS, which allows malicious or compromised applications to bypass normal security controls and access sensitive user data without requiring privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability affects multiple Apple OS versions, notably macOS Sonoma 14.8 and macOS Sequoia 15.7, as well as the 26th versions of iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8, indicating critical severity. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) shows that the attack can be performed remotely over the network with low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and results in high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no active exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the potential for abuse is significant given the broad access it grants to sensitive data. Apple has addressed this issue by improving state management in the affected OS versions. The vulnerability poses a serious threat to user privacy and system security, especially in environments where sensitive data is handled on Apple devices.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data stored or processed on Apple devices. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of personal, corporate, or classified information, potentially resulting in data breaches, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and reputational damage. The ability to exploit the vulnerability remotely without user interaction or privileges increases the attack surface, making it easier for threat actors to compromise systems. Critical infrastructure, government agencies, financial institutions, and enterprises with Apple device deployments are particularly vulnerable. The disruption caused by data integrity and availability impacts could affect business continuity and operational reliability. Given the widespread use of Apple products in Europe, the threat could have broad implications across multiple sectors.

1. Immediately update all Apple devices to the patched OS versions: macOS Sonoma 14.8, macOS Sequoia 15.7, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26 as applicable. 2. Enforce strict application control policies to prevent installation of untrusted or malicious apps, including use of Apple’s notarization and app review processes. 3. Monitor network traffic and device logs for unusual access patterns or unauthorized data access attempts. 4. Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior on Apple devices. 5. Educate users about the risks of installing unverified applications and encourage prompt OS updates. 6. For organizations with sensitive data, consider additional encryption and data loss prevention (DLP) controls on Apple devices. 7. Coordinate with Apple support and security advisories for any further updates or mitigations.