CVE-2025-43293 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems, including versions prior to macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, and macOS Tahoe 26, where the issue has been addressed. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation (classified under CWE-20), which allows a malicious application to potentially access sensitive user data without requiring privileges or authentication. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a scenario where the attack vector is local (AV:L), the attack complexity is low (AC:L), no privileges are required (PR:N), but user interaction is necessary (UI:R). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity or availability. This means that an attacker who convinces a user to interact with a malicious app running locally on the system could exploit this flaw to read sensitive information that should otherwise be protected. The vulnerability was mitigated by Apple through improved input validation in the affected macOS versions, preventing unauthorized data access. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the presence of this vulnerability highlights the risk posed by malicious or compromised applications on macOS platforms. Given the nature of the flaw, it is particularly relevant to environments where users may install third-party software or run untrusted applications.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality of sensitive user data on macOS devices. Organizations with employees using vulnerable macOS versions could face data leakage incidents if malicious applications are introduced, either through social engineering or insider threats. The impact is heightened in sectors handling sensitive personal data, such as finance, healthcare, and government, where unauthorized data exposure could lead to regulatory penalties under GDPR and damage to reputation. Since the attack requires local access and user interaction, the threat vector often involves phishing or social engineering to convince users to run malicious apps. This could lead to targeted attacks on high-value individuals or departments within organizations. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged in multi-stage attacks to gather intelligence or credentials that facilitate further compromise. The lack of known exploits in the wild suggests a window of opportunity for proactive patching and mitigation before widespread exploitation occurs.

European organizations should prioritize updating all macOS devices to the patched versions: macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, or macOS Tahoe 26. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application control policies using Apple’s built-in tools such as Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection (SIP) to restrict the execution of untrusted or unsigned applications. User education campaigns should emphasize the risks of running unknown apps and the importance of verifying software sources. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions tailored for macOS can help identify suspicious application behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the impact of any compromised device. Regular audits of installed applications and monitoring for anomalous access to sensitive data can further reduce risk. Finally, organizations should maintain an inventory of macOS devices and ensure compliance with patch management policies to minimize exposure.