CVE-2025-31279
CRITICALCVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
2Description
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in iPadOS 17.7.9, macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.7.7. An app may be able to fingerprint the user.
Analysis
Applications on Apple operating systems can fingerprint users through a permissions flaw that bypasses privacy restrictions. Affects macOS Ventura 13.x, Sonoma 14.x, Sequoia 15.x, and iPadOS 17.x with patches released in versions 13.7.7, 14.7.7, 15.6, and 17.7.9 respectively. CVSS 9.8 critical severity contradicts the low EPSS score (0.07%, 22nd percentile) and information disclosure nature, suggesting scoring misalignment. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the low technical barrier (network accessible, no authentication required per CVSS vector) makes this concerning for privacy-focused environments despite the limited impact scope of user fingerprinting.
Technical Context
This vulnerability stems from CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) in Apple's operating system permission framework. The flaw allows applications to bypass intended restrictions on accessing system information that can uniquely identify users through device fingerprinting techniques. Fingerprinting typically involves collecting hardware identifiers, system configuration details, installed applications, or behavioral patterns that create a unique profile. The affected CPE strings confirm impact across Apple's desktop and tablet OS families: macOS Ventura (13.x branch), macOS Sonoma (14.x), macOS Sequoia (15.x), and iPadOS 17.x. Apple's fix involved implementing additional restrictions in the permissions subsystem to prevent unauthorized information access, suggesting the original permission checks were either incomplete or incorrectly enforced, allowing sandboxed applications to escape their intended privacy boundaries.
Affected Products
Apple iPadOS versions prior to 17.7.9 (cpe:2.3:o:apple:ipados) are affected, along with three macOS branches: macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.6 (cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos), macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.7.7, and macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.7.7. All affected systems allow installed applications to collect identifying information about users through permission boundary violations. The vulnerability impacts both Apple's tablet platform and its desktop operating system across currently supported major version branches.
Remediation
Apple has released vendor-confirmed patches addressing this permissions issue across all affected platforms. Users should upgrade to iPadOS 17.7.9, macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, or macOS Ventura 13.7.7 depending on their platform version. Official security advisories are available at https://support.apple.com/en-us/124148 (Sequoia), https://support.apple.com/en-us/124149 (Sonoma), https://support.apple.com/en-us/124150 (Ventura), and https://support.apple.com/en-us/124151 (iPadOS). No workarounds are documented; patching is the sole remediation path. Organizations should prioritize these updates for devices in privacy-sensitive roles or those handling regulated data, though the low EPSS score suggests this can follow normal patch cycles rather than emergency deployment.
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