Root privilege escalation via undisclosed AccountPolicy code
Published Mar 31, 2025 · Updated Apr 2, 2026
Privilege escalation in Apple macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia allows malicious apps to gain root privileges locally. The AccountPolicy component contains vulnerable code that Apple removed, but Apple has not disclosed the code locus or the incorrect operation. Execution of a malicious app with user interaction is required; successful exploitation grants root control of the Mac.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Apple macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia allows malicious apps to gain root privileges locally. The AccountPolicy component contains vulnerable code that Apple removed, but Apple has not disclosed the code locus or the incorrect operation. Execution of a malicious app with user interaction is required; successful exploitation grants root control of the Mac.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-24234
- Published
- Mar 31, 2025
- Updated
- Apr 2, 2026
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- macOS
- Classifications
- CWE-276, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 31, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 2, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <13.7.5
- Affected versionversion=0 <14.7.5
- Affected versionversion=0 <15.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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