CVE-2025-24116 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, macOS Ventura 13.7.3. An app may be able to bypass Privacy preferences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2026
This vulnerability represents a sandbox escape condition that undermines the fundamental security boundaries established by Apple's macOS privacy protection mechanisms. The issue stems from insufficient sandbox restrictions that allow applications to potentially bypass the strict privacy preferences and access controls that are designed to protect user data and system resources. The flaw specifically affects the macOS operating system's implementation of sandboxing, which is a critical security feature that isolates applications from each other and from system resources to prevent unauthorized access and data leakage.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-257, which addresses insecure storage of passwords and other sensitive information, and CWE-276, which covers insecure permissions on resources. The sandbox restrictions that were inadequately implemented create a pathway for malicious applications to access privacy-sensitive data that should be protected by the system's access control mechanisms. This issue particularly impacts the macOS privacy framework where applications are supposed to operate within strict boundaries defined by user consent and system policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data breaches and privacy violations that could affect user trust in the operating system's security model. Attackers could exploit this weakness to access sensitive user information, including personal files, communications, and system data that applications normally should not be able to access. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of macOS including the latest major releases, indicating that the sandbox implementation has been compromised across different system generations and updates.
From an adversarial perspective, this issue corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1548.002 which covers abuse of group policy or system permissions. The flaw allows applications to escalate their privileges beyond the intended sandbox boundaries, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks that leverage the bypassed privacy controls. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core privacy preferences system that users rely upon to control application access to sensitive data.
Apple's response to this vulnerability includes patches for macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, and macOS Ventura 13.7.3, which represent the recommended mitigations for affected systems. These updates implement additional sandbox restrictions that close the access paths that were previously available to applications. Organizations should prioritize deployment of these updates to ensure that their systems maintain proper isolation between applications and user privacy controls. The mitigation strategy involves not only applying the security patches but also conducting system audits to verify that applications are operating within their intended sandbox boundaries and that privacy preferences are properly enforced.
The vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in implementing robust sandboxing mechanisms within complex operating systems where multiple application interfaces and system services must coexist while maintaining security boundaries. This issue underscores the importance of continuous security testing and validation of access control mechanisms, particularly in systems where user privacy is paramount. The fix represents a strengthening of the underlying security architecture to ensure that applications cannot circumvent the privacy controls that users expect to be in place.