CVE-2025-24191
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 · uneditedThe issue was addressed with improved validation of environment variables. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.4. 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 confidenceThis vulnerability in macOS allows an application to modify protected parts of the file system due to insufficient validation of environment variables. The issue was addressed by implementing stricter validation checks on environment variables before they are processed by the system, preventing malicious apps from potentially manipulating file system protections.
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< 15.4CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed macOS versionOpen Apple menu > About This Mac, or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if The version shown is earlier than 15.4 (such as 15.3.x, 14.x, 13.x, etc.)
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Confirm system is not patchedRun 'uname -a' to verify kernel version, then cross-reference with Apple security release notes for build numberAffected if The build version corresponds to a release predating the 15.4 security update
A system is affected if it runs any macOS version earlier than 15.4, since the vulnerability stems from insufficient environment variable validation in older macOS releases.
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 · scoped15.4
Update to macOS Sequoia 15.4 or later, which contains the improved environment variable validation fix.
macOS Sequoia 15.4
- Back up all important data using Time Machine or another backup method before proceeding with the update
- Verify your Mac is compatible with macOS Sequoia 15.4 by checking system requirements on Apple's website
- Connect your Mac to a stable power source and reliable internet connection
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Navigate to General > Software Update
- Click Check for Update and wait for macOS 15.4 to appear
- Click Download and Install to begin the update process
- Follow the on-screen prompts and allow the system to restart as needed during installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-24191 — 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-2025-24191 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