CVE-2025-43192 is a critical security vulnerability affecting Apple macOS systems, specifically involving the Account-driven User Enrollment feature. This feature is designed to allow organizations to enroll user devices into management systems automatically. The vulnerability arises because, even when Lockdown Mode—a security feature intended to restrict configuration changes and reduce attack surface—is enabled, attackers can still perform Account-driven User Enrollment. This bypass occurs due to a configuration issue that was not fully addressed until macOS Sequoia 15.6 and Sonoma 14.7.7. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control), indicating that the system fails to enforce proper restrictions on enrollment operations. The CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 reflects that the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, leading to complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the potential for abuse is significant, as unauthorized enrollment could allow attackers to install management profiles, deploy malicious configurations, or gain persistent access to corporate devices. The lack of patch links suggests that organizations must upgrade to the specified fixed macOS versions to remediate the issue.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a severe risk, particularly to enterprises and government agencies that rely on macOS devices and utilize Lockdown Mode as part of their security posture. Unauthorized Account-driven User Enrollment could allow attackers to bypass security controls, enroll devices into malicious management systems, or deploy unauthorized configurations, leading to data breaches, espionage, or disruption of services. The impact extends to confidentiality, as sensitive corporate or personal data could be exposed; integrity, as system configurations and software could be tampered with; and availability, due to potential denial-of-service or device lockout scenarios. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, which often enforce strict device management policies, are especially vulnerable. The ease of exploitation without user interaction or privileges increases the threat level, making it imperative for affected organizations to act swiftly.

European organizations should immediately verify their macOS device inventory and identify systems running versions prior to Sequoia 15.6 or Sonoma 14.7.7. Promptly apply the available patches to these systems to eliminate the vulnerability. In addition, review and tighten device enrollment policies to restrict Account-driven User Enrollment to trusted sources only. Implement network-level controls to monitor and block unauthorized enrollment attempts, such as filtering traffic to known management servers. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect anomalous enrollment activities. Educate IT and security teams about the risk and signs of unauthorized enrollment. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, consider temporarily disabling Account-driven User Enrollment or Lockdown Mode until updates can be applied. Regularly audit device management configurations and logs to detect potential exploitation attempts.