CVE-2025-30456 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/01/2025
A parsing issue in the handling of directory paths was addressed with improved path validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.7.5, iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5. An app may be able to gain root privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical directory path parsing flaw that existed in Apple's operating systems across multiple versions including macOS Ventura 13.7.5, iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.5. The issue stemmed from inadequate validation of directory paths during file system operations, creating potential attack vectors for privilege escalation. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-22 category for Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which is a well-established weakness in software security design. Attackers could exploit this flaw to manipulate directory traversal operations and potentially gain root privileges on affected systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability likely involved insufficient sanitization of user-supplied or system-generated path strings before they were processed by the operating system's file handling mechanisms. This parsing issue would have occurred during operations such as file creation, access control checks, or directory navigation where the system failed to properly validate or normalize path components. The flaw could have been exploited through maliciously crafted directory paths that bypassed normal access controls, allowing unauthorized applications to escalate privileges and gain administrative access to the system. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and specifically addresses the path traversal attack pattern.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it directly enables privilege escalation attacks that could allow malicious applications to gain root access to affected systems. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they would have complete control over the affected device, potentially leading to data exfiltration, persistent backdoor installation, or further network infiltration. The widespread nature of the affected platforms including iOS and macOS across multiple versions means that a significant portion of Apple's user base was potentially exposed to this risk. Organizations and individual users who had not yet updated to the patched versions were particularly vulnerable, as the exploit could be triggered through seemingly benign application interactions.
The fix implemented by Apple addresses this issue through enhanced path validation mechanisms that properly sanitize and normalize directory paths before processing them. This approach aligns with security best practices for preventing directory traversal attacks and ensures that all path operations are validated against a strict set of rules. The patched versions include improved input validation that prevents malformed or malicious path sequences from being processed as valid directory references. Users should immediately update to the patched versions of their operating systems to mitigate this vulnerability, as the window for exploitation remains open until the update is applied. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these security updates across all affected devices to prevent potential compromise of enterprise networks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of continuous security monitoring and timely patch management processes to prevent exploitation of similar path parsing issues in other software components.