CVE-2025-43298 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems, specifically addressed in macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, and macOS Tahoe 26. The vulnerability arises from a parsing issue in the handling of directory paths, where insufficient validation allows an application to potentially escalate its privileges to root level. This is classified under CWE-41, which relates to improper path handling that can lead to security issues such as directory traversal or privilege escalation. The vulnerability allows an attacker with limited privileges (local access with low complexity) to execute code or perform actions with root privileges without requiring user interaction. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector limited to local access but requiring only low complexity and privileges. The vulnerability is fixed by improved path validation in the affected macOS versions, but the affected versions prior to these patches remain vulnerable. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the potential for privilege escalation makes this a significant threat if exploited.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a serious risk, especially for those relying on macOS systems in their IT infrastructure, including development environments, administrative workstations, or specialized applications running on macOS. Successful exploitation could allow a local attacker or malicious insider to gain root privileges, leading to full system compromise, unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of services, or deployment of persistent malware. This could affect confidentiality by exposing sensitive corporate or personal data, integrity by allowing unauthorized modifications, and availability by enabling denial-of-service conditions or system instability. Organizations with strict regulatory requirements such as GDPR must be particularly cautious, as exploitation could lead to data breaches and significant compliance penalties. The lack of user interaction requirement increases the risk, as exploitation can occur silently once local access is obtained. Although remote exploitation is not indicated, compromised or malicious insiders, or attackers who gain initial foothold via other means, could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and move laterally within networks.

European organizations should prioritize patching affected macOS systems to the fixed versions (Sequoia 15.7, Sonoma 14.8, Tahoe 26) as soon as possible. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges and restrict the installation and execution of untrusted applications. Employing endpoint protection solutions that monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts can help detect exploitation attempts. Regular auditing of user accounts and privilege levels can reduce the risk of insider threats. Network segmentation and the principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit the impact of a compromised macOS device. Additionally, organizations should educate users about the risks of running untrusted software and maintain robust logging and monitoring to detect anomalous activities indicative of exploitation. Since no known exploits are currently in the wild, proactive patch management and system hardening are critical to prevent future attacks.