CVE-2025-43249 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems, including versions macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, and macOS Ventura 13.7.7. The vulnerability arises from a logic flaw that allows an application to potentially escalate its privileges to root level. This means that a malicious or compromised app could bypass normal security restrictions and gain full administrative control over the system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), indicating that the system fails to properly enforce privilege boundaries. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector of local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the potential for privilege escalation makes this vulnerability critical to address promptly. The flaw was mitigated by Apple through improved logic checks in the affected macOS versions. Given the nature of the vulnerability, exploitation would typically require a user to run a malicious app or be tricked into executing code, but once exploited, it could allow attackers to fully compromise the system, install persistent malware, or access sensitive data.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for enterprises and government agencies that rely on macOS devices for sensitive operations. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, enabling attackers to steal confidential data, disrupt operations, or establish persistent footholds within networks. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure could face severe consequences including data breaches, regulatory penalties under GDPR, and operational downtime. The requirement for local access and user interaction somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, as phishing or social engineering could be used to trick users into running malicious apps. Additionally, the high integrity and availability impact means attackers could modify or destroy critical system files, potentially causing service outages. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for organizations to patch and mitigate before active attacks emerge.

European organizations should prioritize updating all macOS devices to the fixed versions: macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, or macOS Ventura 13.7.7. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application control policies using Apple’s built-in tools such as Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection (SIP) to prevent unauthorized apps from executing. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for unusual privilege escalation attempts. User education is critical to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could trigger exploitation. Restrict local administrative privileges to the minimum necessary and enforce multi-factor authentication where possible to reduce the impact of compromised accounts. Regularly audit installed applications and remove unnecessary software to reduce the attack surface. Finally, maintain robust backup and recovery procedures to mitigate potential damage from successful exploitation.