CVE-2025-43268
📋 TL;DR
A permissions vulnerability in macOS allows malicious applications to escalate privileges to root access. This affects macOS systems running versions before Sequoia 15.6. Attackers could gain complete control of affected systems through specially crafted applications.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with root-level persistence, data theft, and backdoor installation
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing malicious apps to bypass security controls and access protected resources
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper application sandboxing and least privilege principles are enforced
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction to install malicious app; exploit details not publicly disclosed
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sequoia 15.6
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/124149
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings 2. Click General 3. Click Software Update 4. Install macOS Sequoia 15.6 update 5. Restart when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict application installation
allLimit application installation to App Store only and enforce Gatekeeper settings
sudo spctl --master-enable
sudo spctl --enable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized app execution
- Enforce least privilege principles and monitor for privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version: if running any version before Sequoia 15.6, system is vulnerableCheck Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version is 15.6 or later and check that no unauthorized privilege escalation has occurred📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events in system logs
- Unauthorized root access attempts
Network Indicators:
- None - local exploit only
SIEM Query:
source="macos_system_logs" AND (event="privilege_escalation" OR user="root" AND process="unexpected_app")