CVE-2025-15523: Inkscape macOS Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-15523 Overview

CVE-2025-15523 is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the macOS version of Inkscape, the popular open-source vector graphics editor. The vulnerability stems from the application bundling a Python interpreter that inherits Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) permissions granted by the user to the main Inkscape application bundle. This design flaw allows a local attacker to abuse the inherited permissions to access privacy-protected resources without triggering additional user prompts.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can leverage Inkscape's previously granted TCC permissions to access privacy-protected user files and folders without user consent, potentially leading to unauthorized data access and exfiltration.

Affected Products

• Inkscape for macOS versions prior to 1.4.3

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-22 - CVE-2025-15523 published to NVD
• 2026-01-22 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-15523

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents an Insecure Permissions (CWE-276) issue specific to the macOS platform's TCC security framework. macOS uses TCC to control application access to sensitive user data such as photos, documents, downloads, and other privacy-protected locations. When a user grants Inkscape permission to access certain folders, these permissions are stored at the application bundle level.

The root issue is that Inkscape bundles a standalone Python interpreter within its macOS application package. This embedded Python interpreter inherits all TCC permissions that have been granted to the parent Inkscape application. An attacker with local user access can directly invoke this bundled Python interpreter to execute arbitrary Python scripts that leverage Inkscape's existing TCC entitlements.

The vulnerability enables two distinct attack scenarios. First, an attacker can silently access any files in folders where Inkscape has already been granted TCC permissions, without generating any new authorization prompts for the user. Second, if the attacker attempts to access resources beyond Inkscape's existing permissions, the authorization prompt will appear under Inkscape's name rather than revealing the attacker's malicious intent, potentially tricking users into granting additional permissions.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper permission scoping in the macOS application bundle design (CWE-276 - Incorrect Default Permissions). The bundled Python interpreter inherits TCC permissions from the parent application rather than being isolated with its own permission scope. This violates the principle of least privilege, as the Python interpreter should not automatically inherit the main application's access rights to sensitive user data.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the target system. An attacker must first establish a presence on the macOS system, then locate the bundled Python interpreter within the Inkscape application package (typically at /Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/MacOS/python or a similar path). Once located, the attacker can invoke this interpreter with malicious scripts to access files in any TCC-protected folder where Inkscape has been granted permissions.

The attack does not require any user interaction once local access is obtained. The attacker's scripts can run silently in the background, accessing privacy-protected data that the user had only intended to share with the legitimate Inkscape application.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-15523

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected process spawns of Python interpreters from within the Inkscape application bundle path
• Unusual file access patterns in TCC-protected directories (Documents, Downloads, Photos) by Inkscape-related processes
• Command-line executions involving paths like /Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/*/python*

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Python interpreter executions originating from the Inkscape application bundle that occur outside of normal Inkscape usage patterns
• Implement endpoint detection rules that flag direct invocation of bundled interpreters within application packages
• Review macOS Unified Logs for suspicious TCC access events attributed to Inkscape when the application is not actively in use

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable file access auditing for privacy-protected folders on macOS systems where Inkscape is installed
• Deploy behavioral analytics to detect anomalous interpreter usage patterns within application bundles
• Correlate Inkscape-attributed TCC access events with actual application launch times to identify potential abuse

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-15523

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Inkscape to version 1.4.3 or later immediately on all affected macOS systems
• Review and audit TCC permissions previously granted to Inkscape and consider revoking unnecessary access
• Monitor systems for signs of exploitation until patches are applied

Patch Information

Inkscape has addressed this vulnerability in version 1.4.3. The fix resolves the TCC permission inheritance issue with the bundled Python interpreter. Users should update via the official Inkscape website or their preferred package manager.

For additional details on this vulnerability, refer to the CERT Poland security advisory.

Workarounds

• Temporarily remove or revoke TCC permissions granted to Inkscape until the update can be applied
• Consider using an alternative vector graphics editor on macOS until Inkscape is updated
• Restrict local user access and implement strong access controls to limit potential attacker presence on affected systems

# Review Inkscape's TCC permissions in System Preferences
# Navigate to: System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy
# Check categories like Files and Folders, Full Disk Access, etc.
# Remove Inkscape from permission lists until update is applied

# Verify Inkscape version after updating
/Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/MacOS/inkscape --version
# Should show 1.4.3 or later