CVE-2025-43304 is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Apple's macOS operating system. The vulnerability arises from a race condition in the system's state handling, which could allow a malicious application to gain root privileges. A race condition occurs when the timing or sequence of events in software execution leads to unexpected behavior, often exploitable by attackers to bypass security controls. In this case, the flaw allows an unprivileged app to escalate its privileges to root, the highest level of access on macOS, thereby gaining unrestricted control over the system. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of macOS, specifically macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, and macOS Tahoe 26, with the issue addressed through improved state handling in these releases. No specific affected versions prior to these patches are detailed, and as of the publication date, no known exploits have been observed in the wild. The absence of a CVSS score suggests the vulnerability is newly disclosed and pending formal severity assessment. However, the nature of the vulnerability—root privilege escalation via a race condition—indicates a significant security risk. Exploiting this flaw does not require prior authentication beyond running an app on the system, but it may require local code execution or user installation of a malicious app. The vulnerability compromises system confidentiality, integrity, and availability by enabling full control over the affected device.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a critical risk, especially for enterprises and institutions relying on macOS devices for sensitive operations. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data theft, unauthorized access to corporate networks, and disruption of business processes. Organizations in sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and technology, where macOS usage is prevalent, could face significant operational and reputational damage. The ability to gain root privileges means attackers could install persistent malware, exfiltrate confidential information, or disrupt system availability. Additionally, since macOS is commonly used by developers and IT professionals, this vulnerability could serve as a foothold for lateral movement within corporate networks. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits following public disclosure. The vulnerability also raises concerns for remote work environments where endpoint security is critical, as compromised devices could serve as entry points for broader network attacks.

European organizations should prioritize updating affected macOS systems to the patched versions: macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, and macOS Tahoe 26. Immediate deployment of these updates is essential to remediate the race condition vulnerability. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application control policies to prevent unauthorized or untrusted applications from executing, leveraging macOS's built-in Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection (SIP) features. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions should be configured to monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts and suspicious process behaviors indicative of exploitation. User education is critical to reduce the risk of installing malicious applications that could exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should audit and restrict local user permissions to minimize the attack surface. Network segmentation and zero-trust principles can limit the impact of a compromised device. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on macOS endpoints will help identify residual risks. Finally, maintaining comprehensive backups and incident response plans will aid in recovery if exploitation occurs.