CVE-2025-13733 is a vulnerability in the BuhoNTFS 1.3.2 product developed by Dr.Buho, involving an insecure XPC service that improperly assigns permissions to critical resources. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-732, which relates to incorrect permission assignment for critical resources, leading to privilege escalation. Specifically, the XPC service, which is a macOS interprocess communication mechanism, is accessible by local unprivileged users and exposes insecure functions that allow these users to escalate their privileges to root. The vulnerability does not require user interaction or additional authentication, making it easier to exploit by any local user with access to the system. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates a local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and a high impact on integrity (VI:H) and scope (SI:H), resulting in a high severity score of 8.4. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the flaw presents a critical risk because it can lead to full system compromise by unauthorized local users. The vulnerability affects only version 1.3.2 of BuhoNTFS, a third-party NTFS driver for macOS that enables read/write access to NTFS-formatted drives. This product is often used in mixed OS environments where macOS systems need to interact with Windows file systems. The insecure permission assignment in the XPC service likely stems from misconfigured access control lists or entitlement settings, allowing unauthorized local processes to invoke privileged operations. Given the nature of the vulnerability, attackers with local access can leverage it to gain root privileges, bypassing normal security controls and potentially deploying persistent malware or exfiltrating sensitive data.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-13733 can be significant, especially in environments where BuhoNTFS is deployed on macOS endpoints. The vulnerability allows local attackers to gain root privileges, which can lead to complete system compromise, unauthorized access to sensitive data, and disruption of business operations. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure that rely on macOS systems with BuhoNTFS for interoperability with Windows file systems are at heightened risk. The ability to escalate privileges locally can facilitate lateral movement within networks, deployment of ransomware, or sabotage of critical systems. Since the vulnerability does not require user interaction or additional authentication, any local user or malware that gains initial foothold can exploit it to elevate privileges. This increases the risk posed by insider threats or attackers who have compromised low-privilege accounts. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not diminish the urgency of remediation, as weaponization could occur rapidly once details become public. Additionally, the high impact on system integrity and scope means that successful exploitation can affect multiple system components and services, amplifying potential damage.

To mitigate CVE-2025-13733, organizations should take several specific actions beyond generic patching advice. First, monitor vendor communications closely and apply security patches or updates for BuhoNTFS as soon as they become available, since no patch links are currently provided. Until a patch is released, restrict local user access on macOS systems running BuhoNTFS to trusted personnel only, minimizing the attack surface. Conduct a thorough audit of the XPC service permissions and entitlements related to BuhoNTFS to identify and correct any insecure configurations manually, if feasible. Implement strict endpoint security controls such as application whitelisting, behavior monitoring, and privilege access management to detect and prevent unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Employ macOS security features like System Integrity Protection (SIP) and ensure they are enabled and properly configured. Regularly review local user accounts and remove unnecessary privileges to reduce the number of potential attackers. Network segmentation and limiting the use of BuhoNTFS to essential systems can also reduce exposure. Finally, increase monitoring for unusual local activity or privilege escalation indicators on affected systems to enable rapid detection and response.