CVE-2025-43297 – A type confusion vulnerability in macOS allows ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2025-43297?

CVE-2025-43297 has a CVSS score of 6.2 (MEDIUM). A type confusion vulnerability in macOS allows malicious applications to cause denial-of-service conditions by manipulating memory incorrectly. This affects macOS systems before version 26 (Tahoe). Users running vulnerable macOS versions are at risk.

📋 TL;DR

A type confusion vulnerability in macOS allows malicious applications to cause denial-of-service conditions by manipulating memory incorrectly. This affects macOS systems before version 26 (Tahoe). Users running vulnerable macOS versions are at risk.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

macOS

Versions: Versions before macOS Tahoe 26

Operating Systems: macOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All default macOS installations before version 26 are vulnerable. Requires user to execute malicious application.

📦 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 crash or kernel panic requiring reboot, potentially leading to data loss or service disruption.

🟠

Likely Case

Application crashes or temporary system instability affecting user productivity.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper application sandboxing and privilege restrictions in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local application execution, not directly exploitable over network.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Malicious applications could be distributed internally or via social engineering.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires user interaction to run malicious application. Type confusion vulnerabilities typically require specific memory manipulation knowledge.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: macOS Tahoe 26

Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/125110

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Open System Settings 2. Click General 3. Click Software Update 4. Install macOS Tahoe 26 update

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Application Restriction

macOS

Restrict installation and execution of untrusted applications

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement application allowlisting to prevent execution of untrusted software
Use macOS Gatekeeper settings to only allow apps from App Store and identified developers

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check macOS version: if earlier than 26, system is vulnerable

Check Version:

sw_vers

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify macOS version is 26 or later after update

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panics in system logs
Application crash reports for suspicious processes

Network Indicators:

No direct network indicators - local exploitation only

SIEM Query:

source="macOS" AND (event_type="kernel_panic" OR event_type="app_crash")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2025-43297

CVSS v3 Score: 6.2 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-843

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (3.1th percentile)

Published: September 15, 2025

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

🔗 References

https://support.apple.com/en-us/125110 Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Sep/53

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