dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2025-24122

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-01-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.7.3 / 14.7.3 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A downgrade issue affecting Intel-based Mac computers was addressed with additional code-signing restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, macOS Ventura 13.7.3. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This is a code-signing bypass vulnerability in macOS affecting Intel-based Macs that allows an application to modify protected areas of the file system. The issue was addressed by implementing additional code-signing restrictions to prevent downgrade attacks that could circumvent existing security controls.

MitigationApply the macOS security updates: update to macOS Sequoia 15.3, Sonoma 14.7.3, or Ventura 13.7.3 (depending on current OS version) to address the code-signing bypass.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 13.7.3>= 14.0, < 14.7.3>= 15.0, < 15.3

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Mac hardware architecture
    Run 'sysctl -n hw.ncpu' and check System Information > About > Model, or run 'uname -m' - Intel Macs will show 'x86_64' while Apple Silicon shows 'arm64'. This vulnerability only affects Intel-based Macs.
    Affected if The Mac uses Intel processor architecture (x86_64)
  2. Check installed macOS version
    Run 'sw_vers -productVersion' or go to Apple menu > About This Machine to see the exact macOS version number.
    Affected if Version is 13.x below 13.7.3, 14.x below 14.7.3, or 15.x below 15.3
  3. Verify code signing is enforced on the system
    Run 'spctl --status' to check if Gatekeeper (code signing enforcement) is enabled, and run 'codesign -dv /Applications/System Preferences.app' (or any system app) to verify code signing validation works.
    Affected if Code signing or Gatekeeper is disabled, or code signing validation fails for system binaries
  4. Check for presence of modified system binaries
    Run 'codesign -vvv /usr/bin/touch' or similar system binaries to verify their code signatures are valid and have not been tampered with. Compare hash if you have a known-good baseline.
    Affected if System binaries show invalid or altered code signatures
  5. Audit for recently installed applications bypassing code signing
    Run 'spctl --audit' to review recent application launches, and check 'ls -la /Applications/' for any suspicious or unsigned applications installed around the time of potential compromise.
    Affected if Unsigned or improperly signed applications are present and were allowed to run

A user is affected if running an Intel-based Mac with macOS version 13.x before 13.7.3, 14.x before 14.7.3, or 15.x before 15.3, especially if code signing enforcement is disabled or system binaries show invalid signatures.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 13.7.3 / 14.7.3 / 15.3 or later
Fixed in 13.7.314.7.315.3
Interim mitigation

Apply the macOS security updates: update to macOS Sequoia 15.3, Sonoma 14.7.3, or Ventura 13.7.3 (depending on current OS version) to address the code-signing bypass.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Ventura 13.7.3 (for macOS 13.x), macOS Sonoma 14.7.3 (for macOS 14.x), or macOS Sequoia 15.3 (for macOS 15.x)

  1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
  2. Click on General in the sidebar
  3. Click Software Update
  4. Wait for macOS to check for updates
  5. If an update is available, click Update Now to download and install the fixed version
  6. Alternatively, click More Info to see available updates and select the appropriate version: macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, or macOS Sequoia 15.3
  7. Allow the update to complete; the Mac may restart during installation
Caveat Standard macOS upgrade considerations apply - ensure compatible applications and backup critical data before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $910
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-24122 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data