MacOS has been a go-to operating system for many users who appreciate its simplicity, smooth performance, and a secure environment. However, a recent vulnerability has been discovered, dubbed CVE-2025-24115, which poses a security risk for these users. This vulnerability exploits a path handling issue, enabling an application to read files outside its sandbox, thus breaching the macOS security paradigm.

Apple has addressed this issue by releasing updates for macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.3 (the original references can be found here). In this post, we will explore the vulnerability in detail, share a code snippet demonstrating the flaw, and discuss mitigation strategies to protect your macOS devices.

Vulnerability Details

The CVE-2025-24115 vulnerability stems from improper validation of application path handling. As a result, a malicious app can manipulate its path to read files outside its designated sandbox, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data or system configurations.

The macOS sandbox is a security mechanism designed to restrict app permissions and isolate them from accessing unauthorized files, folders, or other system resources. However, this vulnerability, if exploited, can bypass this protection, enabling unauthorized access to users' sensitive information.

Below is a simple code snippet demonstrating the exploit

import os

def malicious_path_traversal(target_path):
    sandbox_path = "/Users/testuser/sandbox/"
    outside_path = "../target/" + target_path
    full_path = os.path.join(sandbox_path, outside_path)
    
    with open(full_path, 'r') as target_file:
        data = target_file.read()
    return data

In this code snippet, the malicious_path_traversal function attempts to access a file outside of its sandbox by using the os.path.join() function to concatenate the sandbox_path and outside_path, which includes a directory traversal attack. As a result, it can read content from files that are outside the designated sandbox boundary, violating macOS' security constraints.

Mitigation

Apple has promptly addressed this issue in security updates for macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.3. Users should immediately update their systems to the latest version to protect themselves from this vulnerability. Additionally, users should follow best security practices, such as:

Enable antivirus software and keep it up-to-date.

5. Be cautious while granting permissions to apps, especially for those requesting access to sensitive data or system resources.

In conclusion, CVE-2025-24115 is a serious vulnerability that could compromise your macOS devices' security if left unaddressed. Ensure you follow recommended practices and promptly update your devices to macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, or macOS Sonoma 14.7.3 to mitigate the risk associated with this exploit. You can find the original announcement and details from Apple here.

Timeline

Published on: 01/27/2025 22:15:16 UTC
Last modified on: 03/03/2025 22:45:38 UTC