CVE-2025-43196: Apple macOS · An app may be able to gain root privileges
Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in 15.6 : patch Apple macOS soon.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 16% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 15.6
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 29 Jul 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Apple macOS | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
1. Immediately apply the security updates provided by Apple for macOS Sequoia 15.6, Sonoma 14.7.7, and Ventura 13.7.7 or later to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Restrict local access to macOS systems by enforcing strong access controls, limiting user accounts with local login privileges, and using endpoint protection solutions to detect suspicious activities. 3. Implement application whitelisting and least privilege principles to minimize the risk of malicious apps running with any privileges. 4. Monitor system logs and audit trails for unusual privilege escalation attempts or anomalous path usage patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted software and the importance of applying system updates promptly. 6. For high-security environments, consider additional hardening measures such as sandboxing applications and using macOS security features like System Integrity Protection (SIP) to limit root-level modifications. 7. Regularly review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving local privilege escalation on macOS.
Description
A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.7.7. An app may be able to gain root privileges.
References
- support.apple.com/en-us/124149 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/124150 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/124151 (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Jul/34 (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Jul/33 (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Jul/32 (opens in a new tab)