CVE-2025-43260
📋 TL;DR
This macOS vulnerability allows malicious applications to hijack entitlements granted to other privileged apps, potentially gaining unauthorized access to protected resources. It affects macOS systems running vulnerable versions of Sequoia and Sonoma. Attackers could exploit this to escalate privileges or bypass security controls.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could gain full system control by hijacking entitlements from system-level privileged apps, leading to complete compromise of the macOS device.
Likely Case
Malicious apps could access protected user data, system resources, or perform unauthorized actions by stealing entitlements from legitimate apps.
If Mitigated
With proper app sandboxing and entitlement validation, impact would be limited to specific app contexts rather than system-wide compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires creating or modifying a malicious app that can execute on the target system. No public exploit code has been disclosed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/124149
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings > General > Software Update. 2. Install available updates for macOS. 3. Restart the system when prompted. 4. Verify the update completed successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict App Installation Sources
allConfigure macOS to only allow app installations from the App Store and identified developers
sudo spctl --master-enable
sudo spctl --enable --label "Mac App Store"
sudo spctl --enable --label "Developer ID"
Enable Gatekeeper
allEnsure Gatekeeper is enabled to verify app signatures before execution
sudo spctl --status
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized app execution
- Use macOS privacy controls to restrict app entitlements and permissions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version in System Settings > General > About. If version is earlier than Sequoia 15.6 or Sonoma 14.7.7, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify macOS version shows Sequoia 15.6 or Sonoma 14.7.7 or later in System Settings > General > About.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual entitlement requests in system logs
- Apps requesting entitlements they shouldn't have
- Console.app entries showing entitlement mismatches
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
source="macos_system_logs" AND (entitlement OR sandbox) AND (mismatch OR unauthorized OR hijack)