CVE-2025-24268: macOS Path Traversal Vulnerability – Patch Sequoia 15.4

Technical summary

This vulnerability exploits a path traversal weakness (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory) in macOS directory path handling logic. The parsing mechanism fails to properly validate user-supplied or application-supplied paths before accessing files and directories, allowing a malicious app running under local user privileges to escape intended directory boundaries and access protected user data. The fix introduces improved validation to sanitize and constrain path resolution.

Business impact

Organizations relying on macOS for sensitive work face a moderate risk from this vulnerability. While the attack requires local presence and user-level execution context, compromised user data could include personal information, credentials, or confidential documents. The impact is primarily confidentiality-focused; the attacker cannot modify or delete data. This is most critical for enterprises managing remote work, contractors, or BYOD environments where user machines may run untrusted applications.

Affected systems

Apple macOS systems prior to version Sequoia 15.4 are affected. This includes all recent macOS versions until the Sequoia 15.4 release. Verify your exact macOS version under Apple menu > About This Mac > System Report to determine exposure. Users on earlier versions of Sequoia or other macOS releases (Sonoma, Ventura, etc.) should consult Apple's security documentation to confirm if patches are available for their specific OS version.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires local access to the system and user-level privileges; network-based attacks are not possible. An attacker must either plant a malicious application on the target device or convince a user to run one. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond the initial application execution, making it practical for scenarios involving sideloaded or trojanized software. The attack surface is moderate but non-negligible in environments where software supply chain trust is not strictly enforced.

Remediation

Upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.4 or later. Apple's improved path validation in this release directly addresses the parsing weakness. Users should enable automatic updates to receive security patches promptly. Organizations should audit their macOS deployment inventory to identify systems still on unpatched versions and prioritize updates in their change windows.

Patch guidance

Apple released the fix in macOS Sequoia 15.4, available through System Preferences > General > Software Update. For organizations using Mobile Device Management (MDM) or similar deployment tools, ensure that the update is tested in a non-production environment first to validate application compatibility. Verify patch status by confirming the OS version matches or exceeds Sequoia 15.4. Consult Apple's official security updates page and your internal patch management documentation for version-specific guidance if systems are running macOS releases prior to Sequoia.

Detection guidance

Monitor for unusual file access patterns or unexpected directory traversal attempts in system logs, particularly targeting user directories (~/Library, ~/Documents, etc.) from suspicious processes. Review application audit logs and endpoint detection tools for apps attempting to access paths outside their intended sandbox or bundle directories. System Integrity Protection (SIP) logs may contain evidence of path validation failures. Conduct forensic review of recently installed or updated applications on affected systems, especially those from untrusted sources or unusual distribution channels.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits prompt but non-urgent patching. The CVSS 5.5 medium score reflects the need for local access and user-level execution; it is not a widespread remote exploitation vector. However, the confidentiality impact (accessing sensitive user data) and the ease of delivering a malicious app make it a valid security concern. Organizations with strict security postures or handling highly sensitive workloads should prioritize this patch; those in lower-risk environments can schedule it as part of routine maintenance cycles. The lack of KEV status indicates no active in-the-wild exploitation has been documented at the time of publication.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 (MEDIUM) reflects: Attack Vector Local (AV:L) — attacker must be on the system; Attack Complexity Low (AC:L) — no special conditions required; Privileges Required Low (PR:L) — standard user account suffices; User Interaction None (UI:N) — no user interaction needed after app execution; Scope Unchanged (S:U) — impact limited to the user; Confidentiality High (C:H) — sensitive user data is accessible; Integrity None (I:N) — no modification possible; Availability None (A:N) — no service disruption. This score appropriately captures a local privilege escalation concern with confidentiality impact but limited scope.

Frequently asked questions