CVE-2025-43387
📋 TL;DR
A permissions vulnerability in macOS allows malicious applications to escalate privileges to root access. This affects macOS systems running versions before the security updates. Users who install untrusted applications are at risk.
💻 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 access, allowing installation of persistent malware, data theft, and system modification.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation where a malicious app gains full system control after user installation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if users only install trusted applications from official sources and have proper endpoint protection.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction to install malicious application. No public exploit code available at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sequoia 15.7.2 or macOS Tahoe 26.1
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/125634
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings 2. Click General 3. Click Software Update 4. Install available updates 5. Restart when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Application Installation
macosConfigure macOS to only allow apps from the App Store and identified developers
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict user privileges and implement application allowlisting
- Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version in System Settings > General > About. If version is earlier than Sequoia 15.7.2 or Tahoe 26.1, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version shows Sequoia 15.7.2 or Tahoe 26.1 or later in System Settings > General > About.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events in system logs
- Processes running with unexpected root privileges
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from system processes
SIEM Query:
process where parent_process_name contains "installer" and process_name contains "sudo" or "su"