Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-24172

Apple Macos ≤ 13.7.5

Published
31 March 2025
Modified
02 April 2026
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0087 56th percentile
Risk Priority 73 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-24172 is a critical-severity Incorrect Default Permissions (CWE-276) vulnerability in Apple Macos. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Services File Permissions Weakness (T1574.010); ranked in the top 44% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2025-24172 is a permissions issue, classified under CWE-276, affecting the Mail application on macOS. Specifically, the "Block All Remote Content" setting may not apply to all mail previews, allowing unintended access to remote resources. The vulnerability impacts macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.4, macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.7.5, and macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.7.5.

Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low attack complexity, requiring no privileges, authentication, or user interaction, as reflected in its CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). Exploitation occurs when a targeted user previews a malicious email, potentially enabling attackers to load remote content and achieve high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Apple's security advisories detail the fix through additional sandbox restrictions, resolving the issue in macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, and macOS Ventura 13.7.5. Security practitioners should prioritize updating affected systems, with further mitigation guidance available in Apple's support documents at https://support.apple.com/en-us/122373, https://support.apple.com/en-us/122374, and https://support.apple.com/en-us/122375.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A01:2025 Broken Access Control

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A permissions issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5. "Block All Remote Content" may not apply for all mail previews.

CWE(s)
CWE-276

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1574.010 Services File Permissions Weakness Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the binaries used by services.
attack.mitre.org →
T1543 Create or Modify System Process Persistence
Adversaries may create or modify system-level processes to repeatedly execute malicious payloads as part of persistence.
attack.mitre.org →
T1554 Compromise Host Software Binary Persistence
Adversaries may modify host software binaries to establish persistent access to systems.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574 Hijack Execution Flow Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the way operating systems run programs.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-43519Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2023-28192Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2024-40792Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2023-32405Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-24234Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2024-44224Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-24093Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-24170Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-24140Same product: Apple Macos
CVE-2025-31261Same product: Apple Macos

Affected Assets

apple
macos
≤ 13.7.5 · 14.0 — 14.7.5 · 15.0 — 15.4

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 11 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

—

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

AC-3 Access Enforcement good match

Enforces approved authorizations on files and resources so overly permissive defaults cannot be exploited.

AC-6 Least Privilege good match

Requires least-privilege defaults so that installed files are not world-writable by default.

CM-6 Configuration Settings good match

Requires documented, restrictive configuration settings that cover file and directory permissions.

CM-5 Access Restrictions for Change partial match

Enforces access restrictions on changes, including permission settings applied during installation or configuration.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-01 full match
prevents

Hardened baselines and configuration management explicitly require correct default file permissions.

PR.AA-05 mostly match
prevents

Defining and enforcing least-privilege access permissions directly prevents overly permissive defaults at install time.

ID.AM-08 partial match
prevents

Lifecycle management can encompass permission settings, yet the control is too broad to specifically mitigate incorrect defaults.

PR.PS-06 partial match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices include establishing secure defaults, but address only the development-phase portion of the weakness.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.9 Configuration management mostly match
prevents

Standard templates that restrict access to utility programs and host parameter settings prevent the assignment of overly permissive default permissions on critical resources.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Windows Server 2016 (2 rules)
  • V-224833 Permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-224834 Permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
Windows Server 2019 (2 rules)
  • V-205735 Windows Server 2019 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-205736 Windows Server 2019 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
Windows Server 2022 (2 rules)
  • V-254252 Windows Server 2022 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-254253 Windows Server 2022 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276

References