dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2025-31224

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-05-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.7.6 / 14.7.6 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, macOS Ventura 13.7.6. An app may be able to bypass certain Privacy preferences.

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 logic flaw vulnerability in macOS where an application can bypass certain Privacy preferences. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation checks in the logic governing privacy controls, allowing malicious or misbehaving applications to circumvent user-defined privacy settings. Apple addressed this with improved validation checks in the specified macOS updates.

MitigationApply the macOS security updates: Sequoia 15.5, Sonoma 14.7.6, or Ventura 13.7.6 depending on the macOS version in use. Ensure systems are patched to prevent apps from bypassing Privacy preferences.

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:< 13.7.6>= 14.0, < 14.7.6>= 15.0, < 15.5

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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. Identify the installed macOS version
    Open Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version is < 13.7.6, OR >= 14.0 and < 14.7.6, OR >= 15.0 and < 15.5
  2. Confirm macOS Ventura (13.x) patch level
    If running macOS 13.x, check System Settings > General > About to verify the Build Number matches or exceeds 22G1234 (or install 13.7.6 security update and verify version shows 13.7.6)
    Affected if Running macOS 13.x with version below 13.7.6
  3. Confirm macOS Sonoma (14.x) patch level
    If running macOS 14.x, check System Settings > General > About to verify the Build Number matches or exceeds 24A348 (or install 14.7.6 security update and verify version shows 14.7.6)
    Affected if Running macOS 14.x with version below 14.7.6
  4. Confirm macOS Sequoia (15.x) patch level
    If running macOS 15.x, check System Settings > General > About to verify the Build Number matches or exceeds 25F5053 (or install 15.5 security update and verify version shows 15.5)
    Affected if Running macOS 15.x with version below 15.5

You are affected if your macOS version falls within the vulnerable ranges: below 13.7.6, between 14.0-14.7.5, or between 15.0-15.4.

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 13.7.6 / 14.7.6 / 15.5 or later
Fixed in 13.7.614.7.615.5
Interim mitigation

Apply the macOS security updates: Sequoia 15.5, Sonoma 14.7.6, or Ventura 13.7.6 depending on the macOS version in use. Ensure systems are patched to prevent apps from bypassing Privacy preferences.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Sequoia 15.5 (if running macOS 15.x), macOS Sonoma 14.7.6 (if running macOS 14.x), or macOS Ventura 13.7.6 (if running macOS 13.x)

  1. 1. Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution before upgrading.
  2. 2. Connect your Mac to power to ensure the update process is not interrupted.
  3. 3. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions).
  4. 4. Click on General in the sidebar.
  5. 5. Click Software Update.
  6. 6. Wait for macOS to check for updates - if macOS 15.5, 14.7.6, or 13.7.6 is available, it will appear in the list.
  7. 7. Click Update Now or Download and Install next to the available update.
  8. 8. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Caveat Standard macOS upgrade risks apply - ensure compatible applications and backup data before proceeding

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

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-31224 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2025-31224 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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