CVE-2025-43296: Apple macOS · An app may bypass Gatekeeper checks
Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 3% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 9 Oct 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Apple macOS | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2025-43296, organizations should prioritize updating all macOS devices to macOS Tahoe 26 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed with improved Gatekeeper validation logic. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, administrators should enforce strict application whitelisting policies and restrict the installation of software from untrusted sources. User education is critical to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that rely on user interaction to exploit this flaw. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for suspicious application behaviors that bypass Gatekeeper. Additionally, implement least privilege principles to limit user permissions, reducing the impact of any successful bypass. Regularly audit and monitor macOS systems for unauthorized software installations and anomalous activities. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups to recover from potential compromises resulting from exploitation.
Description
A logic issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26. An app may bypass Gatekeeper checks.