Apple macOS up to 13.6/14.6/15.3 Symlink path traversal

| CVSS Meta Temp Score | Current Exploit Price (≈) | CTI Interest Score |
|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | $0-$5k | 0.00 |
Summary
A vulnerability identified as critical has been detected in Apple macOS up to 13.6/14.6/15.3. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the component Symlink Handler. This manipulation causes path traversal. This vulnerability is registered as CVE-2025-31198. No exploit is available. You should upgrade the affected component.
Details
A vulnerability has been found in Apple macOS up to 13.6/14.6/15.3 and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is some unknown functionality of the component Symlink Handler. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a path traversal vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-22. The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:
This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5. A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation.
The advisory is shared at support.apple.com. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2025-31198 since 03/27/2025. The exploitation appears to be easy. Neither technical details nor an exploit are publicly available. MITRE ATT&CK project uses the attack technique T1006 for this issue.
Upgrading to version 13.7, 14.7 or 15.4 eliminates this vulnerability.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Product
Type
Vendor
Name
Version
License
Website
- Vendor: https://www.apple.com/
CPE 2.3
CPE 2.2
CVSSv4
VulDB Vector: 🔍VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv3
VulDB Meta Base Score: 5.5VulDB Meta Temp Score: 5.3
VulDB Base Score: 5.5
VulDB Temp Score: 5.3
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv2
| AV | AC | Au | C | I | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| Vector | Complexity | Authentication | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
Exploiting
Class: Path traversalCWE: CWE-22
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍
Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Partially
Availability: 🔍
Status: Not defined
EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍
| 0-Day | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
Threat Intelligence
Interest: 🔍Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍
Countermeasures
Recommended: UpgradeStatus: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Upgrade: macOS 13.7/14.7/15.4
Timeline
03/27/2025 🔍05/30/2025 🔍
05/30/2025 🔍
05/31/2025 🔍
Sources
Vendor: apple.comAdvisory: support.apple.com
Status: Confirmed
CVE: CVE-2025-31198 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2025-31198
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-310585
scip Labs: https://www.scip.ch/en/?labs.20180712
Entry
Created: 05/30/2025 05:50Updated: 05/31/2025 06:57
Changes: 05/30/2025 05:50 (57), 05/31/2025 06:57 (1)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
No comments yet. Languages: en.
Please log in to comment.