CVE-2025-30457

Protected-disk symlink creation via improper validation

Published Mar 31, 2025 · Updated Jul 22, 2026

Link following in Apple macOS SystemMigration allows local users to create symlinks in protected disk regions through a malicious app. SystemMigration inadequately validates symlinks before allowing their creation in protected disk locations; Apple has not disclosed the exact routine. Exploitation requires a malicious app to run locally, and Apple reports symlink creation but no confirmed file read, overwrite, or privilege gain.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability1.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link following in Apple macOS SystemMigration allows local users to create symlinks in protected disk regions through a malicious app. SystemMigration inadequately validates symlinks before allowing their creation in protected disk locations; Apple has not disclosed the exact routine. Exploitation requires a malicious app to run locally, and Apple reports symlink creation but no confirmed file read, overwrite, or privilege gain.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-30457
Published
Mar 31, 2025
Updated
Jul 22, 2026
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-59
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 31, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jul 22, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <13.7.5
  2. Affected versionversion=0 <14.7.5
  3. Affected versionversion=0 <15.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=0 <13.7.5; version=0 <14.7.5; version=0 <15.4

Published CVSS scores

9.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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