CVE-2025-43527
📋 TL;DR
A permissions vulnerability in macOS allows applications to gain root privileges through improper access restrictions. This affects macOS Tahoe and Sequoia versions before the patched releases. Attackers could exploit this to execute arbitrary code with the highest system privileges.
💻 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 access, allowing installation of persistent malware, data theft, and full control over the affected system.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation where a malicious application gains root privileges to bypass security controls and access sensitive data.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper application sandboxing and least privilege principles are enforced, though root access would still be possible.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local application execution. No public exploit code available at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Tahoe 26.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.3
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/125886
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 execution
allLimit execution of untrusted applications through Gatekeeper and application whitelisting
sudo spctl --master-enable
sudo spctl --enable --label "Developer ID"
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application control policies to prevent execution of untrusted applications
- 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 Tahoe 26.2 or Sequoia 15.7.3, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version is Tahoe 26.2 or Sequoia 15.7.3 or later in System Settings > General > About.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events in system logs
- Applications requesting root privileges unexpectedly
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local privilege escalation vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="macos_system_logs" AND (event="privilege_escalation" OR process="sudo" OR user="root")