CVE-2025-43358
📋 TL;DR
A sandbox bypass vulnerability in Apple's macOS and iOS/iPadOS allows shortcuts to escape security restrictions. This affects users running vulnerable versions of these operating systems, potentially enabling unauthorized access to protected resources.
💻 Affected Systems
- macOS
- iOS
- iPadOS
📦 What is this software?
Ipados by Apple
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 execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, access sensitive user data, or compromise system integrity by escaping sandbox protections.
Likely Case
Malicious shortcuts could access files or system resources normally restricted by sandbox policies, leading to data theft or limited system modification.
If Mitigated
With proper application sandboxing and least privilege principles, impact would be limited to the specific shortcut's intended functionality scope.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to execute a malicious shortcut. No public exploit code has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sonoma 14.8, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Sequoia 15.7, iOS 18.7, iPadOS 18.7
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/125108
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings (macOS) or Settings (iOS/iPadOS). 2. Navigate to General > Software Update. 3. Install the latest available update. 4. Restart the device when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Shortcuts
allTemporarily disable Shortcuts functionality to prevent exploitation.
Restrict Shortcut Sources
allOnly allow shortcuts from trusted sources in Shortcuts settings.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application allowlisting to restrict which shortcuts can execute.
- Educate users about the risks of running untrusted shortcuts and implement strict policies.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the operating system version against affected versions listed in the Apple security advisories.Check Version:
macOS: sw_vers -productVersion; iOS/iPadOS: Settings > General > About > VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the patched versions listed in the fix information.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual shortcut execution patterns
- Sandbox violation logs in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Network connections initiated by shortcuts to unexpected destinations
SIEM Query:
source="apple_system_logs" AND (event="sandbox_violation" OR process="shortcuts")🔗 References
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125108
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125109
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125111
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125112
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Sep/49
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Sep/53
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Sep/54
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Sep/55
