dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2025-24170

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-31
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.7.5 / 14.7.5 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
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 logic issue was addressed with improved file handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5. An app may be able to gain root privileges.

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

A logic flaw in macOS file handling allows a locally executing application to escalate privileges to root. This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the operating system affecting macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia.

MitigationApply the corresponding macOS security update (Ventura 13.7.5, Sonoma 14.7.5, or Sequoia 15.4) or later to patch the vulnerable file handling logic.

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:< 13.7.5>= 14.0, < 14.7.5

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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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. Check installed macOS version
    Open Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version is 13.x and less than 13.7.5, OR 14.x and less than 14.7.5, OR less than 15.4 (Sequoia) - indicating the patch has not been applied
  2. Confirm macOS release name
    Run: sw_vers -productVersion and sw_vers -buildVersion, then cross-reference with Apple's security content documents
    Affected if Running Ventura (13.x), Sonoma (14.x), or early Sequoia (15.0-15.3) without the corresponding security update installed
  3. Verify system integrity status
    Run: /usr/bin/sw_vers and check /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist for detailed version info
    Affected if Version entries show unpatched build numbers for the affected releases

You are affected if your macOS version is Ventura < 13.7.5, Sonoma 14.0-14.7.4, or Sequoia < 15.4 - all of which lack the fix for this privilege escalation vulnerability in file handling logic.

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 13.7.5 / 14.7.5 or later
Fixed in 13.7.514.7.5
Interim mitigation

Apply the corresponding macOS security update (Ventura 13.7.5, Sonoma 14.7.5, or Sequoia 15.4) or later to patch the vulnerable file handling logic.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Ventura 13.7.5 / macOS Sonoma 14.7.5 / macOS Sequoia 15.4 (depending on your current major version)

  1. 1. Determine the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting 'About This Mac'
  2. 2. If running macOS Ventura 13.x, upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.7.5
  3. 3. If running macOS Sonoma 14.x, upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.7.5
  4. 4. If running macOS Sequoia 15.x, upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.4
  5. 5. To upgrade, go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update
  6. 6. Restart the computer when prompted to complete the update
Caveat Standard macOS update - verify critical applications are compatible before deploying in production environments

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

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2025-24170 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