CVE-2025-43281 is a vulnerability in Apple macOS that allows a local attacker to elevate their privileges due to inadequate authentication controls. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287, which relates to improper authentication. This flaw enables an attacker with local access but no privileges (PR:N) and without user interaction (UI:N) to gain higher privileges, potentially full administrative rights. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) indicates that the attack requires local access but is otherwise easy to exploit with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction needed. The impact includes full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. Apple addressed this issue in macOS Sequoia 15.6 by implementing improved authentication mechanisms, closing the privilege escalation vector. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the vulnerability's characteristics make it a critical risk if left unpatched, especially in environments where multiple users have local access or where attackers can gain initial footholds through other means.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant threat to systems running vulnerable versions of macOS. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain administrative privileges, leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or disruption of services. This is particularly critical for sectors relying on macOS for sensitive operations, such as finance, government, healthcare, and technology. The ability to escalate privileges locally means that any compromised or insider user account could be leveraged to gain full control, bypassing security controls. This could facilitate lateral movement within networks, data exfiltration, or deployment of ransomware. The absence of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks, especially as exploit code may be developed following public disclosure. Organizations with mixed OS environments must consider this vulnerability in their risk assessments and incident response planning.

1. Immediately update all macOS systems to version Sequoia 15.6 or later, where the vulnerability is patched. 2. Restrict local access to macOS machines, limiting user accounts to those strictly necessary and enforcing least privilege principles. 3. Implement strong physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access. 4. Monitor system logs and employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect unusual privilege escalation attempts or suspicious local activity. 5. Conduct regular audits of user accounts and permissions to identify and remove unnecessary privileges. 6. Educate users about the risks of local access and the importance of reporting suspicious behavior. 7. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling unnecessary local services or restricting terminal access. 8. Integrate this vulnerability into vulnerability management and patch management workflows to ensure timely remediation.