CVE-2025-43396
📋 TL;DR
A sandbox escape vulnerability in macOS allows sandboxed applications to bypass security restrictions and access sensitive user data. This affects macOS Sequoia, Tahoe, and Sonoma versions before the patched releases. Users running vulnerable macOS versions with sandboxed apps 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 →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
A malicious sandboxed app could access sensitive files, credentials, or personal data stored on the system, potentially leading to data theft or further system compromise.
Likely Case
Malicious apps from untrusted sources could access user documents, photos, or other personal data they shouldn't have permission to read.
If Mitigated
With proper app vetting and only installing from trusted sources, the risk is significantly reduced as legitimate sandboxed apps follow security protocols.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires a malicious sandboxed app to be installed and executed on the target system. No public exploit code is currently available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2
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 App Installation
allOnly install applications from the Mac App Store or trusted developers to reduce risk of malicious sandboxed apps.
Disable Automatic App Opening
allPrevent automatically opening apps from unidentified developers in Security & Privacy settings.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Only run sandboxed applications from trusted sources with verified developer signatures
- Implement application allowlisting to control which apps can execute on the system
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version in System Settings > General > About. If running Sequoia <15.7.2, Tahoe <26.1, or Sonoma <14.8.2, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version shows 15.7.2, 26.1, or 14.8.2 or higher in System Settings > General > About.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file access patterns by sandboxed applications
- Sandbox violation logs in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from sandboxed applications
SIEM Query:
process where parent_process_name contains "sandbox" and file_access_pattern matches sensitive_paths