CVE-2025-43297 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS characterized by a type confusion issue, categorized under CWE-843. Type confusion occurs when a program incorrectly interprets a piece of memory as a different type than intended, leading to unpredictable behavior. In this case, the flaw results from inadequate memory handling, which can be exploited by a local application to trigger a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by crashing the system or causing it to become unresponsive. The vulnerability does not require any privileges or user interaction, but the attacker must have local access to execute an application on the macOS device. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.2 (medium severity), reflecting the local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no impact on confidentiality or integrity (C:N, I:N), but high impact on availability (A:H). The issue was addressed by Apple in macOS Tahoe 26 through improved memory handling to prevent type confusion. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported to date. The vulnerability primarily threatens system availability, potentially disrupting workflows and services on affected macOS systems.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-43297 is on system availability. A successful exploitation can cause macOS devices to crash or become unresponsive, leading to denial-of-service conditions. This can disrupt business operations, especially in environments relying heavily on Apple hardware for critical tasks, such as creative industries, software development, and certain government agencies. Although the vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity, repeated or targeted DoS attacks could degrade productivity and cause operational delays. Organizations with macOS endpoints in their IT infrastructure may face increased support costs and potential downtime. The lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation by malicious insiders or compromised local users. However, the local attack vector limits remote exploitation risks. Overall, the vulnerability poses a moderate risk to availability, necessitating timely patching and monitoring in European contexts where macOS usage is significant.

To mitigate CVE-2025-43297, European organizations should: 1) Promptly apply the macOS Tahoe 26 update or later versions that include the fix for this vulnerability to ensure improved memory handling and elimination of the type confusion flaw. 2) Enforce strict application whitelisting and restrict the execution of untrusted or unsigned applications to reduce the risk of local exploitation. 3) Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for abnormal application behavior or system crashes indicative of exploitation attempts. 4) Limit local user privileges to the minimum necessary to prevent unauthorized app execution. 5) Conduct regular system audits and monitor logs for unusual activity or repeated crashes that may signal exploitation attempts. 6) Educate users about the risks of running untrusted software locally. 7) Maintain an up-to-date inventory of macOS devices to ensure all endpoints receive timely security updates. These measures collectively reduce the attack surface and improve detection and response capabilities against potential DoS attacks exploiting this vulnerability.