CVE-2025-31194 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/01/2025
An authentication issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5. A Shortcut may run with admin privileges without authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical authentication flaw in apple's macos operating systems that allows malicious shortcuts to execute with administrative privileges without proper user authentication. The issue stems from inadequate state management within the system's authentication framework, creating a pathway for unauthorized privilege escalation. The vulnerability affects multiple macos versions including Ventura 13.7.5, Sequoia 15.4, and Sonoma 14.7.5, indicating a widespread impact across the apple ecosystem. The flaw specifically enables shortcuts to bypass normal authentication mechanisms, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a breakdown in the authentication state machine that governs how system components verify user identity and authorization levels. When a shortcut is executed, the system should verify that appropriate authentication credentials are present before granting administrative privileges. However, the flawed state management allows shortcuts to transition from standard user execution to administrative execution without proper verification steps. This represents a classic violation of the principle of least privilege and undermines the fundamental security model of the operating system.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for macos environments as it enables attackers to potentially gain complete system control through seemingly benign shortcut execution. The attack vector is particularly concerning because shortcuts are commonly used by users and administrators for automation tasks, making them a natural target for exploitation. An attacker could craft a malicious shortcut that appears legitimate to users while silently executing with admin privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation.
The fix implemented in the patched versions addresses the core state management issue by strengthening authentication checks and ensuring proper privilege validation before allowing administrative operations. This aligns with common security best practices outlined in cwe 284 which addresses improper access control, and follows the principle of least privilege enforcement. Organizations should prioritize deployment of these patches to prevent exploitation attempts. Mitigation strategies include implementing application whitelisting, monitoring for suspicious shortcut execution patterns, and educating users about the risks of executing unknown or untrusted shortcuts. The vulnerability also relates to att&ck technique t1059 007 which covers script execution and t1546 001 which covers registry run keys and startup folder modifications. Regular security assessments should verify that shortcuts are properly configured and that appropriate authentication mechanisms are in place to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.