CVE-2025-24140
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 · uneditedThis issue was addressed through improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.3. Files downloaded from the internet may not have the quarantine flag applied.
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 confidenceA state management flaw in macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.3 causes downloaded files to bypass the quarantine flag, which normally warns users before opening potentially malicious internet-downloaded files. This reduces user protection against social engineering and drive-by download attacks.
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< 15.3CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check macOS version installedRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or open System Settings > General > About to view the macOS version numberAffected if Version is 15.0, 15.1, or 15.2 (any version prior to 15.3)
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Confirm macOS Sequoia is the running systemVerify the system is running macOS Sequoia (15.x) by checking the major version number in the output from step 1Affected if The system is running macOS 15.x but not 15.3 or later
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Identify if downloaded files lack quarantine warningsDownload a test file from the internet using Safari or another browser, then right-click the file and select 'Open' - observe whether a quarantine warning dialog appears before allowing the file to openAffected if No warning dialog appears and the file opens directly (note: this may be intermittent per the vulnerability description)
The environment is affected if macOS Sequoia version is 15.0, 15.1, or 15.2 (prior to 15.3), as the quarantine flag bypass vulnerability exists in these versions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped15.3
Apply the macOS Sequoia 15.3 security update to affected systems to restore proper quarantine flag application for downloaded files.
macOS Sequoia 15.3
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Navigate to General > Software Update
- Check for available updates
- If macOS 15.3 or later is available, click 'Update Now' to download and install it
- After installation, restart your Mac if prompted
- Verify the update was successful by checking the macOS version in About This Mac
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,456.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-24140 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-24140 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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