CVE-2025-43403: macOS Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-43403 Overview

CVE-2025-43403 is an authorization bypass vulnerability affecting macOS that stems from improper state management in the authorization framework. This security flaw allows a malicious application to bypass access controls and read sensitive user data without proper authorization. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple through improved state management mechanisms in the affected macOS versions.

Critical Impact

A malicious application running on the local system can exploit this authorization bypass to access sensitive user data, potentially exposing private information, credentials, or confidential documents stored on the affected macOS systems.

Affected Products

• macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.7.4
• macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.8.4

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-11 - CVE-2025-43403 published to NVD
• 2026-02-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-43403

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-285 (Improper Authorization), indicating a fundamental flaw in how the macOS authorization subsystem validates access permissions. The issue arises when the system fails to properly maintain state information during authorization checks, creating a window where applications can access protected resources without meeting the required authorization criteria.

The attack requires local access and user interaction, meaning an attacker must convince a user to run a malicious application. Once executed, the application can exploit the state management weakness to read sensitive user data that should otherwise be protected by macOS security controls. The vulnerability specifically impacts data confidentiality while leaving system integrity and availability unaffected.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper state management within the macOS authorization framework. When applications request access to protected resources, the system's state tracking mechanism fails to properly maintain authorization context, allowing unauthorized read access to sensitive user data. This represents a Broken Access Control vulnerability where the access control checks can be circumvented due to inconsistent state handling.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the target macOS system. An attacker must craft a malicious application and convince the victim to execute it. The application can then exploit the authorization bypass to access sensitive user data stored on the system. While user interaction is required to trigger the vulnerability, once the malicious application is running, it can silently access protected data without additional user consent.

The exploitation does not require elevated privileges, making it accessible to standard user-level malicious applications. This creates a significant risk in scenarios where users may install applications from untrusted sources or where attackers can deliver malware through phishing or social engineering campaigns.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43403

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual application processes attempting to access protected user data directories
• Unexpected file access patterns to sensitive locations such as ~/Library/, ~/Documents/, or other protected folders
• Applications exhibiting abnormal authorization request behavior or accessing resources outside their expected scope

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for applications making unauthorized access attempts to protected user data locations
• Implement endpoint detection rules to identify processes accessing sensitive files without corresponding user consent dialogs
• Review application sandbox violations and authorization subsystem logs for anomalous patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable and collect macOS Unified Logging for authorization-related events using log stream --predicate 'subsystem == "com.apple.Authorization"'
• Configure SentinelOne Singularity Platform to monitor file access patterns on macOS endpoints
• Establish baseline behavior for legitimate applications and alert on deviations in data access patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43403

Immediate Actions Required

• Update macOS Sequoia to version 15.7.4 or later immediately
• Update macOS Sonoma to version 14.8.4 or later immediately
• Audit installed applications and remove any untrusted or unknown software
• Educate users about the risks of installing applications from untrusted sources

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates that address this vulnerability through improved state management in the authorization framework. The patches are available in:

• macOS Sequoia 15.7.4 - See Apple Support Document #126349
• macOS Sonoma 14.8.4 - See Apple Support Document #126350

Organizations should prioritize deployment of these updates across all affected macOS endpoints.

Workarounds

• Restrict application installations to only those from the Mac App Store or identified developers via Gatekeeper settings
• Implement application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unknown applications
• Enable System Integrity Protection (SIP) and ensure it remains active on all macOS systems
• Use endpoint protection solutions like SentinelOne to detect and block malicious applications attempting to exploit this vulnerability

# Verify macOS version and check for available updates
sw_vers
softwareupdate --list

# Verify System Integrity Protection status
csrutil status

# Check Gatekeeper status
spctl --status