CVE-2025-43246 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that permits a local application to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data. The root cause is insufficient access control checks within the operating system, allowing an app to bypass normal data protection mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). Exploitation requires the attacker to have local access to the system and to trick the user into interacting with the malicious app, but no elevated privileges or prior authentication are necessary. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium severity), with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, indicating local attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, unchanged scope, and high impact on confidentiality only. The vulnerability affects unspecified macOS versions prior to the patched releases macOS Sequoia 15.6 and macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, where Apple implemented improved checks to prevent unauthorized data access. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the potential for sensitive data exposure makes this a notable risk. The vulnerability could be leveraged by malicious insiders or malware that gains local execution capabilities to harvest sensitive information from the user environment, such as personal files, credentials, or other protected data. The fix involves enhanced validation and access control enforcement within the OS to block unauthorized data access by apps.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to confidentiality of sensitive user data on macOS endpoints. Organizations with employees using macOS devices for work, especially in sectors handling sensitive or regulated data (e.g., finance, healthcare, legal), could face data leakage risks if the vulnerability is exploited. Although exploitation requires local access and user interaction, malware or insider threats could leverage this flaw to extract confidential information without elevated privileges. This could lead to privacy violations, intellectual property theft, or compliance breaches under GDPR and other data protection regulations. The impact on system integrity and availability is negligible, but the confidentiality breach potential warrants attention. Organizations relying heavily on Apple ecosystems or with remote workforces using macOS devices are more exposed. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits post-disclosure.

1. Apply the latest macOS updates immediately, specifically upgrading to macOS Sequoia 15.6 or macOS Sonoma 14.7.7 or later, which contain the fix for this vulnerability. 2. Restrict installation of apps to trusted sources such as the Apple App Store or enterprise-approved software repositories to reduce the risk of malicious apps gaining local execution. 3. Implement endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting suspicious local app behavior or privilege escalation attempts. 4. Educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted applications and the importance of verifying app sources before installation or execution. 5. Employ application whitelisting and macOS security features like System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper to limit unauthorized app capabilities. 6. Monitor macOS endpoints for unusual access patterns to sensitive data or unexpected local app activities. 7. For organizations with sensitive data, consider additional data encryption at rest and in use to minimize exposure even if local access is compromised.