CVE-2025-30449
📋 TL;DR
A permissions vulnerability in macOS allows applications to escalate privileges to root level. This affects macOS Ventura, Sequoia, and Sonoma systems running vulnerable versions. Attackers could exploit this to gain full system control.
💻 Affected Systems
- macOS
📦 What is this software?
Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with root-level persistence, data exfiltration, and backdoor installation
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing malicious apps to bypass security controls and access protected resources
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper app vetting and user awareness, though risk remains for unpatched systems
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction to run malicious application; technical details may be in referenced disclosures
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/122373
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings > General > Software Update. 2. Install available updates. 3. Restart when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict App Installation Sources
macOSOnly allow apps from App Store and identified developers to reduce risk of malicious app execution
sudo spctl --master-enable
sudo spctl --enable --label "Mac App Store"
sudo spctl --enable --label "Developer ID"
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application allowlisting to control which apps can execute
- Enforce least privilege principles and monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version in System Settings > General > AboutCheck Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is Ventura 13.7.5, Sequoia 15.4, or Sonoma 14.7.5 or later📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected root privilege escalations in system.log
- Unusual process launches with elevated privileges
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from newly elevated processes
SIEM Query:
process where parent_process_name in ("bash", "zsh", "sh") and user="root" and process_name not in (expected_root_processes)