CVE-2025-30440 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems, specifically versions prior to macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.5, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.6 where the issue has been addressed. The vulnerability allows an application to bypass Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), a critical security mitigation technique designed to prevent exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities by randomizing the memory addresses used by system and application processes. By bypassing ASLR, an attacker can more reliably predict the location of executable code and data in memory, significantly increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation of other vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows or use-after-free bugs. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-863, which relates to improper authorization, indicating that the flaw involves insufficient checks that allow unauthorized actions—in this case, bypassing ASLR protections. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium), with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N, meaning the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), user interaction (UI:R), and impacts integrity (I:H) but not confidentiality or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple through improved checks in the affected macOS versions, reinforcing the ASLR implementation to prevent bypass attempts.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to those using Apple macOS systems in environments where local users or applications can be executed. The ability to bypass ASLR increases the risk that other memory corruption vulnerabilities could be exploited more easily, potentially leading to unauthorized code execution or integrity compromise of critical applications. This could impact sectors relying heavily on macOS, such as creative industries, software development firms, and certain government or research institutions. While the vulnerability does not directly expose confidentiality or availability, the integrity impact could allow attackers to manipulate system behavior or escalate privileges if combined with other vulnerabilities. The requirement for local access and user interaction limits remote exploitation, but insider threats or malicious software could leverage this flaw. Given the widespread use of macOS in some European countries and enterprises, unpatched systems could be targeted for advanced persistent threats or targeted attacks aiming to compromise system integrity.

European organizations should prioritize updating affected macOS systems to versions macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.5, or macOS Sonoma 14.7.6 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application whitelisting and endpoint protection to limit the execution of untrusted or unauthorized applications that could exploit this vulnerability. Employing robust user privilege management and minimizing local user permissions can reduce the risk of exploitation. Monitoring for unusual local application behavior and employing behavioral detection tools can help identify attempts to bypass ASLR or exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security awareness training to reduce the risk of user interaction-based exploitation. For environments where patching is delayed, consider isolating macOS systems or restricting local access to trusted personnel only.