CVE-2025-43292 is a race condition vulnerability identified in Apple macOS, specifically addressed in versions macOS Sequoia 15.7 and 15.7.2. The root cause is improper state handling within the operating system, which allows a local application to potentially access sensitive user data that it should not be authorized to access. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-362 (Race Condition), indicating a timing issue where concurrent operations lead to an inconsistent or insecure state. The attack vector requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and user interaction (UI:R). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), and the impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity or availability. The vulnerability could be exploited by a malicious or compromised app running on the affected macOS system to read sensitive information, potentially including personal or corporate data. Although no exploits have been reported in the wild, the medium severity rating and the nature of the vulnerability make it a concern for environments where macOS devices are used, especially in sensitive or regulated sectors. The fix involves improved state handling to prevent the race condition, and users are advised to update to the patched versions promptly.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user data on macOS devices. This could lead to privacy violations, leakage of confidential corporate information, or exposure of personal data protected under regulations such as GDPR. While the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach could undermine trust, cause compliance issues, and potentially lead to financial or reputational damage. Organizations with a significant number of macOS endpoints, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, legal, and government, are at higher risk. The requirement for local access and user interaction limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate the threat from insider attacks or malware that gains local foothold. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate urgency but does not preclude future exploitation attempts, especially as attackers often reverse-engineer patches to develop exploits.

1. Apply the latest macOS updates immediately, specifically upgrading to macOS Sequoia 15.7 or 15.7.2 where the vulnerability is fixed. 2. Enforce strict application control policies to limit installation and execution of untrusted or unnecessary applications on macOS endpoints. 3. Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for unusual local application behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Educate users about the risks of running untrusted applications and the importance of avoiding suspicious prompts requiring interaction. 5. Use macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and sandboxing to reduce the attack surface. 6. Regularly audit and restrict permissions granted to applications, minimizing access to sensitive data. 7. Incorporate vulnerability management processes to track and remediate macOS vulnerabilities promptly. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on local threat vectors, user interaction risks, and macOS-specific controls.