CVE-2025-43330 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems prior to the patched versions macOS Sequoia 15.7 and macOS Tahoe 26. The vulnerability allows a malicious application to break out of its sandbox environment. Sandboxing is a critical security mechanism in macOS designed to isolate applications and restrict their access to system resources and user data. By escaping the sandbox, a malicious app can gain unauthorized access to system-level resources and potentially compromise the confidentiality and integrity of the system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-693, which relates to protection mechanism failures, indicating that the sandbox enforcement mechanism was flawed or bypassable. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.2, reflecting a high impact on confidentiality and integrity, with no impact on availability. The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring the attacker to have local access to the machine, but no privileges (PR:N) are required, and user interaction (UI:R) is necessary to trigger the exploit. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild yet, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the potential for privilege escalation and unauthorized data access. Apple addressed the issue by removing the vulnerable code in the specified macOS versions, indicating a code-level flaw was the root cause. The affected versions are unspecified but presumably include all versions before the patches.

For European organizations, this vulnerability presents a serious threat, especially for enterprises and institutions relying on macOS devices for sensitive operations. A successful sandbox escape could allow attackers to bypass application-level restrictions, access sensitive corporate data, and potentially move laterally within the network if combined with other vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. This could lead to data breaches, intellectual property theft, or espionage. The confidentiality and integrity of data on affected macOS systems are at high risk. Given the high adoption of Apple devices in sectors such as finance, creative industries, and government agencies across Europe, the impact could be widespread. Additionally, the requirement for local access and user interaction means that phishing or social engineering attacks could be leveraged to deliver the malicious app, increasing the attack surface. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future exploitation, especially as threat actors develop proof-of-concept or weaponized code.

European organizations should prioritize updating all macOS devices to macOS Sequoia 15.7 or macOS Tahoe 26 or later versions that include the patch removing the vulnerable code. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application control policies to prevent installation of unauthorized or untrusted applications, reducing the risk of malicious apps gaining local access. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions should be configured to monitor for unusual behaviors indicative of sandbox escape attempts, such as unexpected privilege escalations or access to restricted system resources. User training is critical to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could trick users into executing malicious apps. Additionally, organizations should enforce the principle of least privilege on user accounts to limit the damage potential if a sandbox escape occurs. Network segmentation can also help contain any lateral movement from compromised macOS endpoints. Regular audits of macOS security configurations and sandbox policies are recommended to ensure no deviations or weaknesses exist.