CVE-2025-31270 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2025
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26. An app may be able to access protected user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical permissions flaw in macOS Tahoe 26 that allows applications to potentially access protected user data without proper authorization. The issue stems from insufficient access controls that fail to properly enforce security boundaries between applications and sensitive user information. According to industry standards, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which describes improper access control mechanisms, and could potentially be leveraged by malicious actors to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to user data. The flaw exists at the system level where application sandboxing or permission enforcement mechanisms are inadequate to prevent unauthorized data access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the operating system's security model where apps can bypass normal access restrictions to protected user data. This could include sensitive information such as personal documents, communications, financial data, or other confidential user content. The permissions issue likely involves improper validation of application entitlements or insufficient enforcement of access control lists that should normally prevent unauthorized data access. Attackers could exploit this by crafting malicious applications that attempt to access restricted data paths or by leveraging existing legitimate applications with elevated privileges to access protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to potentially enable broader security compromises within affected systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this permissions issue could gain persistent access to user data, potentially leading to identity theft, financial fraud, or corporate espionage depending on the nature of the accessed information. The vulnerability affects all systems running macOS Tahoe 26 where the fix has not been properly applied, creating a significant attack surface for threat actors who may develop exploits specifically targeting this access control weakness. Organizations using affected systems face increased risk of data breaches and compliance violations that could result in substantial financial and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate application of the security patch released by Apple for macOS Tahoe 26 to address the permissions issue. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any applications that might be exploiting this weakness and implement additional monitoring for unauthorized data access attempts. The remediation process should include verification of proper access controls through security configuration reviews and application sandboxing enforcement. Organizations should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as network monitoring, access logging, and regular security audits to detect potential exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability could be classified under privilege escalation techniques where attackers leverage weak access controls to expand their access within the system environment. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be strengthened to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.