CVE-2025-31280
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 · uneditedA memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.6. Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to heap corruption.
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 · high confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in macOS Sequoia 15.6 where processing a maliciously crafted file leads to heap corruption due to inadequate memory validation during file parsing operations.
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< 15.6CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or go to System Settings > General > About to view the macOS versionAffected if The version is below 15.6 (for example, 15.5, 15.4, 15.3, etc.)
-
Identify file parsing components in useReview any third-party or built-in applications that process external files, particularly those that automatically open or parse attachments, documents, or media filesAffected if Applications that automatically parse untrusted files are enabled or configured on the system
-
Check for automatic file handlingExamine macOS settings for apps that automatically open or preview files, such as Mail attachments, Safari downloads, or Quick Look thumbnail generationAffected if Automatic file preview or parsing features are enabled for incoming or untrusted files
-
Audit file import pathwaysIdentify services or daemons that accept file input, such as cloud sync clients, document converters, or media importersAffected if The system has software that imports or parses files from untrusted or unknown sources
The system is affected if it runs macOS version lower than 15.6 and processes maliciously crafted files through any file parsing functionality.
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 · scoped15.6
Apply macOS Sequoia 15.6 or later security update to address the memory validation issue. Avoid opening untrusted or unsolicited files from unknown sources.
macOS Sequoia 15.6
- Open Apple menu > About This Mac to verify current macOS version
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup solution
- Open System Settings > General > Software Update
- Install the macOS Sequoia 15.6 update when available
- Restart the computer when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-31280 — 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-2025-31280 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
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.
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.
- 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