CVE-2025-43253 is a critical vulnerability affecting Apple macOS systems, specifically addressed in macOS Sequoia 15.6 and macOS Sonoma 14.7.7. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation, categorized under CWE-20, which allows a malicious application to launch arbitrary binaries on a trusted device without requiring any user interaction or prior authentication. This means that an attacker can remotely execute code with potentially high privileges by exploiting this flaw, leading to full compromise of the affected system. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 reflects the severity, indicating that the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a high degree (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's nature and ease of exploitation make it a critical threat. The flaw allows arbitrary binary execution, which could be leveraged for installing persistent malware, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within a network. The vulnerability affects unspecified versions of macOS prior to the patched releases, implying a broad impact across many Apple devices running macOS. The fix involves improved input validation to prevent malicious payloads from triggering unauthorized binary execution.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially those relying on Apple macOS devices for critical operations, including government agencies, financial institutions, technology firms, and creative industries. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of services, and potential espionage or sabotage. Given the high severity and the lack of required user interaction or privileges, attackers could deploy malware or ransomware at scale, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems. The impact is heightened in environments where macOS devices are integrated into enterprise networks with access to sensitive resources. Additionally, the ability to launch arbitrary binaries could facilitate supply chain attacks or lateral movement, increasing the threat surface. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the critical nature demands immediate attention to patching and monitoring.

European organizations should prioritize updating all macOS devices to the latest patched versions (macOS Sequoia 15.6 and macOS Sonoma 14.7.7) without delay. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application whitelisting to restrict execution of unauthorized binaries, employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous process launches, and enforce network segmentation to limit the spread of potential compromises. Regularly auditing installed applications and monitoring for unusual behavior can help identify exploitation attempts early. Additionally, organizations should review and tighten permissions for software installation and execution, and educate users about the risks of installing untrusted applications. Implementing robust logging and alerting mechanisms for process execution events will aid in rapid incident response. Given the vulnerability’s exploitation does not require user interaction, automated defenses and proactive patch management are critical.