CVE-2025-43407 Overview
CVE-2025-43407 is a sandbox escape vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems. Apple addressed the issue with improved entitlements across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and visionOS. An application can leverage the flaw to break out of its sandbox and access resources outside its permitted boundary. The weakness maps to [CWE-284: Improper Access Control] and requires local access with user interaction to exploit.
Critical Impact
A malicious app installed on an affected Apple device can escape its sandbox, gaining elevated access to user data, system resources, and adjacent applications.
Affected Products
- Apple iOS and iPadOS (fixed in 26.1)
- Apple macOS Sequoia (fixed in 15.7.2), macOS Sonoma (fixed in 14.8.2), macOS Tahoe (fixed in 26.1)
- Apple tvOS 26.1 and visionOS 26.1
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-04 - CVE-2025-43407 published to NVD
- 2026-04-02 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-43407
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the entitlements model used by Apple operating systems to enforce sandbox boundaries. Entitlements are signed key-value pairs that grant applications specific privileges, such as file system access, inter-process communication, or hardware capabilities. Apple's advisory states the issue was addressed with improved entitlements, indicating that the prior entitlement configuration granted broader privileges than intended or failed to enforce restrictions correctly.
When entitlements are improperly defined or evaluated, a sandboxed application can perform operations that should be blocked by the kernel sandbox profile. This breaks the isolation model that separates third-party apps from system resources and other applications on the device.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper access control [CWE-284] within the entitlements that govern a sandboxed component. The flaw allowed a process running inside the application sandbox to invoke or access functionality reserved for more privileged contexts. Apple's fix tightens the entitlement set so that the affected code path no longer grants the elevated capability.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access and user interaction, typically through installation of a malicious or trojanized application. Once running, the app abuses the over-permissive entitlement to perform actions outside its sandbox, such as reading data belonging to other apps, accessing protected system APIs, or staging further privilege escalation. Remote exploitation over the network is not possible without first delivering and executing a crafted application on the device.
No public proof-of-concept or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported for CVE-2025-43407 at the time of writing. See the Apple security advisories for component-specific technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43407
Indicators of Compromise
- Applications attempting to access files, IPC endpoints, or system services outside their declared sandbox container.
- Unexpected com.apple.security.* entitlement requests or unsigned helper binaries spawned by App Store or third-party applications.
- Anomalous sandboxd denial messages followed by successful access to the same resource shortly afterward.
Detection Strategies
- Audit installed applications and their declared entitlements using codesign -d --entitlements :- on macOS endpoints.
- Monitor MDM compliance reports for devices running iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or visionOS versions below the patched releases.
- Correlate macOS Unified Log entries from the Sandbox and AMFI subsystems for repeated policy violations originating from the same bundle identifier.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Ingest macOS endpoint telemetry into a centralized data lake to baseline normal app behavior and flag entitlement anomalies.
- Track application install events sourced from outside the App Store, sideloaded profiles, or developer mode channels.
- Alert on processes that perform cross-container file access or invoke privileged Mach services without matching entitlement grants.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43407
Immediate Actions Required
- Update affected devices to iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, or visionOS 26.1.
- Inventory the fleet through MDM and enforce minimum OS version policies that block non-compliant devices from sensitive resources.
- Remove untrusted or sideloaded applications and restrict installation sources to the App Store and approved enterprise channels.
Patch Information
Apple released fixes documented in support articles HT125632, HT125634, HT125635, HT125636, HT125637, and HT125638. The patches address the issue with improved entitlements on the affected components.
Workarounds
- No vendor-supplied workaround exists; patching is the supported remediation path.
- Limit application installation to vetted developers and enforce notarization requirements on macOS where feasible.
- Use MDM configuration profiles to restrict sensitive entitlements and disable developer mode on managed iOS and iPadOS devices until patches are deployed.
# Verify patched OS version on macOS
sw_vers -productVersion
# Inspect entitlements on a suspect application bundle
codesign -d --entitlements :- /Applications/Suspect.app
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
