CVE-2025-43267 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS, specifically addressed in macOS Sequoia 15.6. The vulnerability stems from an injection issue classified under CWE-74, which relates to improper neutralization of special elements used in a command or query. This flaw allows a malicious application to potentially access sensitive user data by exploiting insufficient input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability requires local access (Attack Vector: Local) and user interaction (UI:R), but does not require privileges (PR:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the impact is limited to the vulnerable component without affecting other system components. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level, with a high impact on confidentiality (C:H), but no impact on integrity or availability (I:N, A:N). While no known exploits are reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized data disclosure if exploited. The injection flaw could allow an attacker to bypass normal access controls and extract sensitive information from the user’s environment, potentially including personal files, credentials, or other private data. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple through improved input validation in the latest macOS update, emphasizing the importance of applying this patch to mitigate the risk.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user data on macOS devices, which are commonly used in corporate environments, especially in sectors like finance, technology, and creative industries. The confidentiality breach could expose personal identifiable information (PII), intellectual property, or corporate secrets, potentially leading to compliance violations under GDPR and other data protection regulations. Although exploitation requires local access and user interaction, insider threats or social engineering attacks could facilitate exploitation. The impact on business operations is indirect but significant due to potential data leaks and reputational damage. Organizations relying on macOS for critical workflows must consider this vulnerability a risk to their data security posture and ensure timely patching to prevent exploitation.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately update all macOS devices to version Sequoia 15.6 or later, where the injection issue is fixed. 2) Enforce strict application installation policies to limit the execution of untrusted or unsigned applications that could exploit this flaw. 3) Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring suspicious local application behaviors indicative of injection attacks. 4) Educate users about the risks of executing unknown applications and the importance of avoiding social engineering traps that could lead to local exploitation. 5) Regularly audit macOS systems for compliance with security policies and ensure that all security patches are promptly applied. 6) Consider deploying application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to restrict application capabilities and reduce the attack surface.