CVE-2025-43268 Overview
CVE-2025-43268 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Apple macOS. A malicious application running on the system can exploit improper permission handling to gain root privileges. Apple addressed the issue by adding restrictions in macOS Sequoia 15.6.
The flaw is categorized under [CWE-732] (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource). It requires local access and low privileges, but no user interaction. Successful exploitation grants full control over the affected system, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Critical Impact
A malicious app running locally on macOS can escalate to root privileges, bypassing standard access controls and gaining full administrative control of the system.
Affected Products
- Apple macOS versions prior to Sequoia 15.6
- Systems running vulnerable macOS builds with the affected component
- macOS endpoints where untrusted applications may execute
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-29 - CVE-2025-43268 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-43268
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-43268 stems from an incorrect permission assignment on a critical macOS resource. A local attacker who can execute code as a low-privileged user can leverage the misconfiguration to obtain root-level execution. The vulnerability is exploitable without user interaction, which increases the risk when combined with initial access techniques such as phishing or trojanized applications.
The attack surface is local, meaning the adversary must first run code on the target machine. Once code execution is achieved, the flaw provides a reliable escalation path from an unprivileged process to root. Apple's advisory describes the fix as adding restrictions to the affected permission logic.
Root Cause
The root cause is a permissions issue in a macOS component that allowed operations beyond the intended trust boundary. Under [CWE-732], resources were assigned permissions that permitted a lower-privileged process to influence or invoke privileged functionality. Apple's remediation notes indicate the fix adds explicit restrictions to close the gap.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access with low privileges. A malicious application, once launched on the target macOS host, invokes the mispermissioned resource to escalate to root. No user interaction is required after the malicious app runs. This pattern is common in post-initial-access playbooks where adversaries drop a payload via phishing, malicious installers, or supply chain compromise, then use a local privilege escalation to establish persistence and disable defenses.
See the Full Disclosure Mailing List post and the Apple Support Article for advisory details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43268
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected processes running as root that were spawned from user-writable directories such as /Users/ or /tmp/
- Newly installed launch daemons or LaunchAgents plist files with elevated privileges shortly after an untrusted application executed
- Modification of system files or directories owned by root by processes lacking legitimate elevation history
Detection Strategies
- Monitor macOS Endpoint Security events for privilege transitions from standard users to root without corresponding sudo, authorizationhost, or admin console activity
- Alert on execution of unsigned or ad-hoc-signed binaries followed by privileged file system writes
- Correlate macOS unified logs for suspicious use of privileged helper tools or XPC services invoked by untrusted applications
Monitoring Recommendations
- Baseline legitimate macOS applications that require elevation and flag deviations
- Track macOS build and version inventory to identify hosts still running versions prior to Sequoia 15.6
- Ingest macOS endpoint telemetry into a centralized data lake to enable retrospective hunting for privilege escalation patterns
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43268
Immediate Actions Required
- Update all affected Macs to macOS Sequoia 15.6 or later as documented in the Apple Support Article
- Identify macOS hosts still running vulnerable builds using MDM or asset inventory tooling and prioritize them for patching
- Restrict installation and execution of untrusted applications on managed macOS endpoints via Gatekeeper and notarization policies
Patch Information
Apple released a fix in macOS Sequoia 15.6. The vendor advisory states that the permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. Administrators should deploy the update through Apple Software Update, MDM, or Managed Software Update policies. Reference: Apple Support Article 124149.
Workarounds
- No official workaround is published by Apple; patching to macOS Sequoia 15.6 is the required remediation
- Reduce risk by enforcing the principle of least privilege for standard user accounts and limiting local admin membership
- Enable and enforce Gatekeeper, System Integrity Protection (SIP), and application allowlisting to block untrusted binaries from executing
# Verify current macOS version and confirm patch status
sw_vers -productVersion
# Trigger a software update check (requires admin)
sudo softwareupdate --list
sudo softwareupdate --install --all --restart
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
