CVE-2025-43247 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems, specifically versions prior to the patched releases macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, and macOS Ventura 13.7.7. The vulnerability arises from a permissions issue (classified under CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource) that allows a malicious application running with root privileges to modify the contents of system files. This flaw indicates that even with root access, the system did not enforce sufficient restrictions on modifying critical system files, potentially enabling unauthorized changes to system integrity. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring high privileges (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), limited confidentiality impact (C:L), high integrity impact (I:H), and no availability impact (A:N). Although exploitation requires root privileges, the vulnerability could be leveraged by malware or an attacker who has already escalated privileges to root, allowing them to tamper with system files, potentially leading to persistence, evasion of security controls, or further compromise. Apple addressed this issue by implementing additional restrictions on permissions to prevent unauthorized modifications. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the presence of this vulnerability in widely used macOS versions makes it a relevant concern for security teams. The lack of detailed affected versions suggests that all versions before the specified patches are vulnerable. The vulnerability highlights the importance of strict permission enforcement even at the highest privilege levels to maintain system integrity.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-43247 can be significant, especially for those relying on macOS systems within their IT infrastructure, such as creative industries, software development firms, and enterprises with macOS endpoints. If exploited, attackers with root access could alter system files, potentially implanting persistent malware, disabling security mechanisms, or corrupting system components, which could lead to data integrity issues and undermine trust in system reliability. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect availability or confidentiality to a high degree, the integrity impact is high, which could facilitate further attacks or data manipulation. Organizations in Europe that manage sensitive data or operate in regulated sectors (e.g., finance, healthcare, government) may face compliance risks if system integrity is compromised. Additionally, the medium CVSS score and requirement for root privileges mean that the vulnerability is more likely to be exploited as a secondary step after privilege escalation, emphasizing the need for layered security controls. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits over time. The patch availability in recent macOS versions means organizations that promptly update can mitigate the risk effectively.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation strategies: 1) Ensure all macOS devices are updated promptly to the fixed versions (macOS Sequoia 15.6, Sonoma 14.7.7, Ventura 13.7.7 or later) to apply the permission restrictions that address this vulnerability. 2) Enforce strict privilege management policies to minimize the number of users and processes with root access, employing the principle of least privilege and using tools such as Apple’s System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Endpoint Security frameworks. 3) Monitor and audit root-level activities and system file modifications using endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions tailored for macOS, enabling early detection of suspicious behavior. 4) Implement application whitelisting and code signing enforcement to prevent unauthorized or malicious apps from gaining root privileges. 5) Conduct regular security awareness training for users and administrators about the risks of privilege escalation and the importance of applying patches. 6) Use macOS security features such as Gatekeeper and notarization to reduce the risk of malicious apps being installed. 7) In environments with sensitive data, consider additional integrity verification tools that can detect unauthorized changes to system files. These targeted measures go beyond generic patching advice and focus on reducing the attack surface and improving detection capabilities.