CVE-2025-24165: macOS Permissions Issue Enables Unexpected System Termination

Technical summary

CVE-2025-24165 is a privilege-related flaw (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) in macOS kernel or system-level services that fails to properly restrict application capabilities. An unprivileged application can invoke a system termination pathway by exploiting insufficient permission boundaries. The issue was resolved through additional restriction logic in the permission verification layer, ensuring that only properly authorized processes can trigger the affected code path. The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 (MEDIUM) reflects high availability impact balanced against local-only attack surface and the requirement for user interaction.

Business impact

This vulnerability can degrade system reliability and user productivity. A malicious or compromised application could cause repeated, unexpected system crashes or shutdowns, rendering devices temporarily unavailable. For organizations relying on macOS systems for critical workflows—design, development, financial analysis—such disruptions create downtime and operational friction. While not enabling data theft or unauthorized access, the availability impact may trigger incident response activities, create support tickets, and erode confidence in affected systems. The user-interaction requirement limits mass exploitation but does not eliminate risk in environments where users run untrusted or socially-engineered applications.

Affected systems

Apple macOS Sequoia prior to 15.4, macOS Sonoma prior to 14.7.5, and macOS Ventura prior to 13.7.5 are vulnerable. Organizations running these versions should prioritize patching. Older macOS versions (Big Sur, Monterey, etc.) are not listed in the advisory; verify with Apple support if those systems require updates or have reached end-of-life status.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires local access and user interaction—an attacker must trick or socially engineer a user into running a malicious application. The vulnerability cannot be triggered remotely over a network. No public exploit code has been identified, and the vulnerability was not flagged for inclusion in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, suggesting limited evidence of active exploitation in the wild at time of disclosure. However, the relatively straightforward nature of an availability-based flaw (causing a crash) means proof-of-concept code could be developed quickly if disclosed in detail.

Remediation

Apply the following patches immediately: macOS Sequoia 15.4 or later, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5 or later, or macOS Ventura 13.7.5 or later. Patches are available through System Preferences > Software Update. Organizations should prioritize systems in high-availability roles (servers, shared development machines, kiosk-type deployments) and then roll out to general user populations. Coordinate patching during maintenance windows to minimize disruption.

Patch guidance

Download and install patches through macOS Software Update. For Sequoia users, upgrade to 15.4+; for Sonoma, 14.7.5+; for Ventura, 13.7.5+. If manual updates are required, visit Apple's security updates page and download the appropriate combo update for your OS version. Test patches on non-critical systems first to ensure compatibility with line-of-business applications. Monitor system logs post-patch for any unexpected behavior. Users on unsupported OS versions should plan a macOS upgrade; Apple typically supports the current and two prior major releases.

Detection guidance

Monitor system logs (Console.app, /var/log/system.log) for unexpected kernel panics, mach exceptions, or abnormal termination events correlated with specific applications. Endpoint detection tools can flag repeated crashes or shutdown events originating from a single process. Network-based detection is not applicable. If you suspect exploitation, collect crash reports and kernel panic logs, then review application installation and execution history to identify the trigger. EDR tools with process monitoring can alert on unusual termination patterns.

Why prioritize this

Although the CVSS score is moderate (5.5), the availability impact—unplanned system downtime—justifies high organizational priority. Any vulnerability enabling denial-of-service poses operational risk. Additionally, the fix is straightforward to deploy and carries low risk, making patching a cost-effective control. Prioritize systems with high user counts or mission-critical roles; defer patching on non-critical lab systems only if change management constraints are binding.

Risk score, explained

CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 reflects: Attack Vector=Local (AV:L), meaning direct system access is required; Attack Complexity=Low (AC:L), indicating no special conditions are needed; Privileges Required=None (PR:N), so no elevated rights are prerequisite; User Interaction=Required (UI:R), establishing that the user must engage with the malicious app; Confidentiality=None (C:N) and Integrity=None (I:N), confirming no data theft or modification; Availability=High (A:H), capturing the significant impact of unplanned termination. The score is 'MEDIUM' rather than 'LOW' because crash-induced unavailability is considered a material security issue in modern threat models.

Frequently asked questions