CVE-2025-43244: Apple macOS Race Condition Vulnerability

CVE-2025-43244 Overview

CVE-2025-43244 is a race condition vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Apple macOS. The flaw exists due to improper state handling within the operating system, which can be exploited by a malicious application to cause unexpected system termination. Apple has addressed this vulnerability with improved state handling mechanisms in the latest security updates.

Critical Impact

A malicious application can exploit this race condition to cause unexpected system termination, potentially resulting in denial of service, data loss, and system instability on affected macOS systems.

Affected Products

• macOS Sequoia (versions prior to 15.6)
• macOS Sonoma (versions prior to 14.7.7)
• macOS Ventura (versions prior to 13.7.7)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-30 - CVE-2025-43244 published to NVD
• 2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-43244

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization), commonly known as a race condition. Race conditions occur when multiple processes or threads access shared resources concurrently without proper synchronization, leading to unpredictable behavior.

In the context of CVE-2025-43244, the vulnerability resides in macOS's state handling mechanisms. When specific timing conditions are met, an application can trigger a race condition that results in unexpected system termination. This type of vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in multi-threaded environments where the operating system must manage concurrent access to shared resources.

The network attack vector indicates that exploitation may be possible through network-accessible services or applications that process network-derived input.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-43244 is improper synchronization in macOS state handling operations. When multiple threads or processes attempt to modify shared state simultaneously, the lack of proper locking mechanisms or atomic operations allows for a Time-of-Check Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) scenario. This occurs when the system's state changes between the time it is checked and the time it is used, leading to inconsistent state and potential system crashes.

Apple addressed this vulnerability by implementing improved state handling, which likely includes proper synchronization primitives such as mutexes, semaphores, or atomic operations to ensure thread-safe access to shared resources.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-43244 involves a malicious application running on the target macOS system. The attacker must be able to execute code on the victim's machine, typically through:

1. Malicious Application Installation - Convincing a user to install a trojanized application
2. Exploitation of Another Vulnerability - Using an initial compromise to deploy the race condition exploit
3. Network-Based Triggering - Sending specially crafted network requests that trigger the vulnerable code path

The race condition must be triggered at precise timing windows, requiring the attacker to repeatedly attempt exploitation or to create conditions that increase the likelihood of winning the race. For detailed technical information, refer to the Full Disclosure security reports.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43244

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected system crashes or reboots without apparent cause
• Kernel panic logs indicating state handling or synchronization failures
• Unusual application behavior preceding system termination events
• Multiple crash reports with similar patterns in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to race conditions or state handling
• Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify applications attempting rapid, repeated operations that could indicate race condition exploitation
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity Platform for real-time behavioral analysis of suspicious application activity

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable crash reporting and regularly review /var/log/system.log for anomalies
• Configure alerts for repeated system termination events within short time windows
• Utilize macOS Unified Logging to capture detailed state change events with log show --predicate 'eventMessage contains "state"'

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43244

Immediate Actions Required

• Update macOS Sequoia to version 15.6 or later
• Update macOS Sonoma to version 14.7.7 or later
• Update macOS Ventura to version 13.7.7 or later
• Review installed applications and remove any untrusted or suspicious software
• Enable Gatekeeper and ensure only applications from identified developers are allowed to run

Patch Information

Apple has released security patches addressing CVE-2025-43244 in the following updates:

• macOS Sequoia 15.6 Security Update
• macOS Sonoma 14.7.7 Security Update
• macOS Ventura 13.7.7 Security Update

Organizations should prioritize deploying these updates through their patch management systems. The patches implement improved state handling to prevent the race condition from being exploited.

Workarounds

• Restrict application installation to trusted sources only via Gatekeeper settings
• Implement application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized applications from executing
• Enable System Integrity Protection (SIP) to limit kernel-level modifications
• Monitor and limit network access for applications that don't require connectivity

# Verify current macOS version
sw_vers -productVersion

# Check for available updates
softwareupdate --list

# Install all available updates
softwareupdate --install --all

# Verify Gatekeeper is enabled
spctl --status

# Verify System Integrity Protection status
csrutil status