CVE-2025-31240
📋 TL;DR
A vulnerability in macOS AFP network share mounting allows attackers to cause system termination (kernel panic) by tricking users into connecting to maliciously crafted shares. This affects macOS Ventura, Sequoia, and Sonoma users who mount AFP shares. The issue stems from improper input validation when processing AFP network share data.
💻 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 crash leading to denial of service, potential data loss from unsaved work, and disruption of business operations.
Likely Case
System termination requiring reboot, temporary unavailability of affected Mac systems, and minor productivity impact.
If Mitigated
No impact if systems are patched or AFP mounting is restricted to trusted networks/shares.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction to mount malicious share. No public exploit code available at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/122716
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings > General > Software Update. 2. Install available updates. 3. Restart when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable AFP mounting
allPrevent AFP network shares from being mounted via command line
sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.AppleFileServer.plist
Restrict AFP to trusted networks
allUse firewall rules to limit AFP connections to trusted IP ranges only
sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --add /usr/sbin/afpd
sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --setblockall on
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to restrict AFP traffic to trusted zones only
- Educate users about risks of mounting untrusted network shares and implement approval processes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version in System Settings > General > About. If version is below patched versions, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version is Ventura 13.7.6, Sequoia 15.5, or Sonoma 14.7.6 or higher.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports
- Unexpected AFP connection attempts in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual AFP traffic from untrusted sources
- Multiple failed AFP mount attempts
SIEM Query:
source="macos_system_logs" AND (event="kernel panic" OR process="afpd")