CVE-2025-46289: Apple macOS Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-46289 Overview

CVE-2025-46289 is a logic flaw in Apple macOS that allows an application to access protected user data. Apple addressed the issue with improved file handling in macOS Sequoia 15.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.8.3, and macOS Tahoe 26.2. The weakness is categorized under [CWE-285] Improper Authorization, meaning macOS did not correctly enforce access controls on protected resources. Exploitation requires local access and user interaction, which limits remote abuse but keeps the vulnerability relevant to endpoint attack chains involving malicious or trojanized apps.

Critical Impact
A local application on an unpatched macOS system can bypass file access authorization and read protected user data such as files normally guarded by macOS Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC).

Affected Products

Apple macOS Sequoia prior to 15.7.3
Apple macOS Sonoma prior to 14.8.3
Apple macOS Tahoe prior to 26.2

Discovery Timeline

2025-12-12 - CVE-2025-46289 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-46289

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-46289 stems from an improper authorization condition in macOS file handling routines. An application executing on the local system can leverage the flaw to reach files that macOS should have gated behind user consent or entitlement checks. Apple's advisory states the fix improves file handling, indicating the pre-patch logic accepted requests it should have denied. The result is a confidentiality breach without any effect on system integrity or availability, which aligns with the classification as an information disclosure issue tied to authorization enforcement.

Root Cause

The root cause is a logic error in how macOS validated file access requests. Under the affected code paths, authorization decisions did not properly account for the caller's permissions or the protected status of the target resource. This is a classic Improper Authorization pattern [CWE-285], where the check that should reject the operation either runs against stale state, uses the wrong subject, or is skipped when specific file handling conditions occur. Apple's guidance references "improved file handling" as the corrective change.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is local and requires user interaction, typically achieved by convincing a user to run a malicious or repurposed application. Once running with standard user privileges, the app can invoke the vulnerable file-handling path to reach protected user data that TCC or sandbox policy should have blocked. No elevated privileges or network access are required, making the flaw useful as a post-compromise data collection primitive rather than an initial access technique.

No public proof-of-concept, exploit code, or CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) listing exists for CVE-2025-46289 at the time of writing. See the Apple Support Document #125886, Apple Support Document #125887, and Apple Support Document #125888 for vendor-authoritative details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46289

Indicators of Compromise

Unsigned or newly installed applications accessing directories protected by TCC such as ~/Library, ~/Documents, ~/Desktop, or ~/Downloads without a corresponding user consent prompt.
Unexpected reads of sensitive files (Mail, Messages, Photos libraries) by processes that lack Full Disk Access entitlements.
macOS endpoints still reporting build versions below 15.7.3, 14.8.3, or 26.2 after the patch window.

Detection Strategies

Baseline application-to-file access patterns and alert on processes reading protected user data outside their normal working set.
Correlate Endpoint Security framework events (ES_EVENT_TYPE_NOTIFY_OPEN, ES_EVENT_TYPE_NOTIFY_READDIR) with process code-signing identity to spot unauthorized reads.
Track macOS version telemetry across the fleet to identify systems that remain exposed after the patch release.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest macOS Unified Log and Endpoint Security telemetry into a centralized data lake for retroactive hunting against suspicious file access.
Monitor for privilege-adjacent behaviors such as apps enumerating TCC-protected directories immediately after first launch.
Alert when third-party applications appear on endpoints running out-of-date macOS builds affected by CVE-2025-46289.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46289

Immediate Actions Required

Update all Apple endpoints to macOS Sequoia 15.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.8.3, or macOS Tahoe 26.2 or later.
Inventory macOS assets and prioritize patching for systems that store or process sensitive user data.
Restrict installation of untrusted applications through mobile device management (MDM) policy and Gatekeeper enforcement.

Patch Information

Apple released fixes in macOS Sequoia 15.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.8.3, and macOS Tahoe 26.2. Patch details are published in Apple Support Document #125886, Apple Support Document #125887, and Apple Support Document #125888. Administrators should deploy these updates through Apple Software Update, MDM, or Apple Business Manager.

Workarounds

No vendor-supplied workaround exists; apply the security update as the primary remediation.
Limit user permissions to install and launch third-party applications until patches are deployed.
Enforce least-privilege TCC policies via MDM to reduce the amount of protected data reachable by any single application.

bash

# Verify macOS build version on an endpoint
sw_vers -productVersion

# Trigger a software update check via MDM or locally
sudo softwareupdate --list
sudo softwareupdate --install --all --restart