CVE-2025-30428 in iPadOS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/01/2025
This issue was addressed through improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, iPadOS 17.7.6. Photos in the Hidden Photos Album may be viewed without authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical access control flaw in apple's mobile operating systems that allowed unauthorized viewing of hidden media content. The issue stems from inadequate state management within the photos application's authentication mechanisms, specifically affecting the hidden photos album functionality. When users enabled the hidden album feature, the system failed to properly maintain the authenticated state required to access these protected images, creating a persistent security gap that could be exploited by malicious actors or unauthorized individuals with physical access to the device. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it undermined the fundamental security premise of the hidden album feature, which is designed to provide users with a secure method for storing sensitive or private photographs. The flaw existed across multiple platform versions including ios 18.4 and ipadOS 18.4, as well as ipadOS 17.7.6, indicating that the issue was widespread and affected a significant portion of apple's mobile user base. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of weak access control mechanisms and can be classified as a cwe-285 access control flaw, where the system fails to properly enforce authentication requirements for protected resources. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns, as it could potentially expose sensitive personal information, intimate photographs, or confidential documents stored within the hidden album. The attack surface is particularly broad since the vulnerability is exploitable through physical access to the device, making it a significant concern for users who store highly sensitive information in their hidden photo albums. From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with attack techniques categorized under privilege escalation and unauthorized access within the attack chain framework. The fix implemented by apple involved improving the state management protocols within the photos application to ensure that proper authentication checks are maintained throughout the session lifecycle. This remediation addresses the core issue where the system state was not properly validated after certain operations, allowing subsequent access to hidden content without re-authentication. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining proper session state management in mobile applications, particularly those handling sensitive user data. Security practitioners should note that this issue highlights the necessity of thorough testing of authentication flows and state management mechanisms, especially in applications that handle personal privacy data. The resolution required updates to the underlying system libraries and application frameworks that govern how the photos application maintains user authentication states. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where mobile devices may be lost or stolen, as it could enable unauthorized access to sensitive personal information without requiring additional authentication factors or biometric verification. The fix ensures that any access to the hidden photos album requires proper authentication each time, eliminating the possibility of bypassing the security controls through state management flaws. The remediation approach taken by apple demonstrates the importance of proper session management and state validation in preventing unauthorized access to protected resources. This vulnerability serves as a reminder to developers and security professionals about the critical nature of maintaining secure authentication states and the potential consequences of failing to properly validate user credentials throughout an application session.