Overview
CVE-2025-31248 describes a critical security vulnerability affecting macOS. This issue stems from a parsing flaw in the handling of directory paths, which, if exploited, could allow a malicious application to bypass security restrictions and access sensitive user data. Apple has addressed this vulnerability with improved path validation in the following updates: macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.5, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.3. Users are strongly advised to update their systems to these versions to mitigate the risk.
Technical Details
The vulnerability lies in the way macOS parses and validates directory paths. A malformed or carefully crafted path could potentially trick the operating system into granting access to directories or files that the application should not have access to. The specific nature of the parsing issue isn’t detailed in the provided information, but it’s likely related to improper handling of special characters, relative paths, or symbolic links within the directory path string. Improved path validation implemented in the patched versions ensures that directory paths are correctly parsed and sanitized, preventing unauthorized access.
CVSS Analysis
The provided information indicates a severity of “N/A” and a CVSS score of “N/A” for CVE-2025-31248. While the absence of a CVSS score might suggest a lower risk, the description clearly states the potential for “an app may be able to access sensitive user data.” Therefore, users should treat this vulnerability with caution and prioritize applying the available updates. It is possible that Apple has internally assessed the severity and decided not to publicly release the CVSS score, or it may be assessed later.
Possible Impact
The potential impact of CVE-2025-31248 is significant. If successfully exploited, a malicious application could:
- Access and steal sensitive user data, such as personal documents, photos, and financial information.
- Modify or delete user data without authorization.
- Potentially escalate privileges within the system.
- Compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the user’s data and system.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
The primary mitigation strategy is to update your macOS installation to one of the following patched versions:
- macOS Ventura 13.7.3
- macOS Sequoia 15.5
- macOS Sonoma 14.7.3
To update your macOS version, navigate to System Preferences > Software Update and follow the on-screen instructions. It is recommended to back up your system before performing any software update.
