CVE-2025-14979 is a vulnerability identified in AirVPN's Eddie client for macOS, specifically version 2.24.6. The root cause is an insecure XPC (Cross Process Communication) service that is incorrectly configured with permissions that allow local, unprivileged users to escalate their privileges to root. This is classified under CWE-732, which refers to incorrect permission assignment for critical resources. The XPC service, designed to facilitate communication between processes, is exposed in a way that does not restrict access properly, enabling privilege escalation without requiring authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability since an attacker gaining root privileges can fully control the system, access sensitive data, modify system configurations, and disrupt services. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) indicates that the attack requires local access with low complexity, no authentication, and no user interaction, but results in high impact across all security objectives. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and no official patch has been released yet, increasing the urgency for organizations to implement mitigations. The vulnerability was reserved in December 2025 and published in January 2026, indicating recent discovery and disclosure.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially in environments where multiple users share macOS systems or where endpoint security is critical. An attacker with local access could escalate privileges to root, potentially leading to full system compromise. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, disruption of VPN services, and lateral movement within networks. Organizations relying on AirVPN Eddie for secure communications might face confidentiality breaches and integrity violations of their network traffic. The lack of a patch means the window of exposure remains open, increasing the risk of targeted attacks. Additionally, sectors with strict data protection regulations such as finance, healthcare, and government could face compliance and reputational damage if exploited. The threat is exacerbated in remote work scenarios where endpoint security controls may be weaker.

Until an official patch is released, European organizations should implement specific mitigations: 1) Restrict local user access on macOS systems running AirVPN Eddie to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 2) Employ macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and mandatory access controls to limit the ability of local users to interact with XPC services. 3) Monitor and audit local user activities for unusual privilege escalation attempts or suspicious process communications. 4) Consider temporarily disabling or uninstalling AirVPN Eddie 2.24.6 on macOS systems where local user access cannot be tightly controlled. 5) Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of detecting privilege escalation behaviors. 6) Educate users about the risks of local privilege escalation and enforce strict endpoint security policies. 7) Stay alert for official patches or updates from AirVPN and apply them immediately upon release. 8) Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of a compromised endpoint. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access and monitoring interprocess communications specific to this vulnerability.