CVE-2025-43310 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS systems, specifically addressed in macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, and macOS Tahoe 26. The vulnerability stems from a configuration issue that allows a malicious application to trick a user into copying sensitive data to the system pasteboard (clipboard). This behavior can lead to unintended exposure of confidential information, as data placed on the pasteboard can be accessed by other applications or processes running on the system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-359, which relates to exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of user interface elements or insufficient restrictions on data sharing. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) shows that the attack requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction, with low complexity and impacts confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent, but does not affect availability. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and the issue was addressed by Apple through additional restrictions in the affected macOS versions. The vulnerability does not require user interaction, which increases the risk of silent exploitation once a malicious app is installed. However, the requirement for local access and low privileges somewhat limits the attack surface to users who have installed or executed untrusted applications locally.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data handled on macOS endpoints. Organizations with a significant macOS user base, such as creative industries, software development firms, and enterprises using Apple hardware, could see exposure of sensitive clipboard data to unauthorized applications. This could lead to leakage of credentials, proprietary information, or personal data, potentially violating GDPR requirements around data protection and privacy. While the vulnerability does not directly affect system availability, the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data could result in reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and increased risk of follow-on attacks such as credential theft or lateral movement within networks. The lack of required user interaction means that malicious apps could exploit this silently, increasing the risk of unnoticed data leakage. However, the requirement for local privileges and the absence of known exploits in the wild reduce the immediacy of the threat. Organizations relying heavily on macOS systems should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessments and endpoint security strategies.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Ensure all macOS systems are promptly updated to the fixed versions (Sequoia 15.7, Sonoma 14.8, Tahoe 26) to apply the additional restrictions Apple introduced. 2) Enforce strict application control policies using Apple’s built-in tools such as Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection (SIP) to prevent installation or execution of untrusted or unsigned applications that could exploit this vulnerability. 3) Educate users about the risks of installing unknown applications and the importance of verifying software sources. 4) Monitor clipboard access and usage where possible, using endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools that can flag unusual or unauthorized clipboard activity. 5) Implement data loss prevention (DLP) solutions that can detect and block unauthorized data exfiltration via clipboard or other means. 6) Conduct regular audits of installed applications and remove any that are unnecessary or potentially risky. 7) Integrate this vulnerability into vulnerability management and patch management workflows to ensure timely remediation. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on macOS-specific controls and user behavior relevant to this vulnerability.