CVE-2025-24277
Published: 31 March 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-24277 is a high-severity Incorrect Default Permissions (CWE-276) vulnerability in Apple Macos. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 16.9th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Requires timely remediation of the path parsing flaw through patching to the fixed macOS versions, directly preventing exploitation.
Mandates validation of directory path inputs to address the parsing issue that enables root privilege escalation.
Restricts execution of unapproved user-installed apps that could exploit the vulnerability via user interaction.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
The vulnerability is a local path validation parsing flaw that directly enables a malicious app (run via user interaction) to escalate privileges to root on macOS, mapping to Exploitation for Privilege Escalation.
NVD Description
A parsing issue in the handling of directory paths was addressed with improved path validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5. An app may be able to gain root privileges.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-24277 is a parsing issue in the handling of directory paths, addressed through improved path validation. The vulnerability affects macOS Sequoia prior to version 15.4, macOS Sonoma prior to 14.7.5, and macOS Ventura prior to 13.7.5. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (High), with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, and is associated with CWE-276.
A local attacker can exploit this vulnerability by tricking a user into interacting with a malicious app, requiring no special privileges. Successful exploitation allows the app to escalate to root privileges, potentially enabling high-impact unauthorized access to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of system resources.
Apple security advisories detail the fix via improved path validation in the specified macOS updates. Practitioners should prioritize patching affected systems to macOS Sequoia 15.4, Sonoma 14.7.5, or Ventura 13.7.5, as outlined in support documents such as https://support.apple.com/en-us/122373. Additional details appear in related advisories and Full Disclosure mailing list posts.
Details
- CWE(s)