CVE-2025-43333 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS involving a permissions issue that allows an application to gain root privileges. The root cause is a weakness in the system's permission enforcement, categorized under CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management). This flaw enables a local attacker, with limited user interaction, to escalate privileges without requiring prior authentication, thereby gaining full administrative control over the affected system. The vulnerability affects unspecified versions of macOS prior to the release of macOS Tahoe 26, where Apple has introduced additional restrictions to address the issue. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting a high severity due to the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector is local (AV:L), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requires user interaction (UI:R). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), meaning the exploit affects components within the same security scope. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the nature of the vulnerability makes it a significant risk for privilege escalation attacks. This vulnerability could be leveraged by malicious applications or threat actors who have gained limited access to a system to fully compromise it, potentially leading to data theft, system manipulation, or denial of service.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially those relying on macOS for critical operations, such as government agencies, financial institutions, and technology companies. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to access sensitive data, install persistent malware, or disrupt services. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems could be severely impacted. Given the high market penetration of Apple devices in countries like Germany, France, the UK, and the Nordics, the threat surface is considerable. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or remote workforces using macOS devices are particularly vulnerable. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. The vulnerability also raises concerns for supply chain security and insider threats, as local access is sufficient for exploitation.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize updating all macOS devices to macOS Tahoe 26 once it becomes available, as this update contains the necessary permission restrictions to fix the issue. Until the patch is applied, organizations should enforce strict application whitelisting and restrict the installation of untrusted software to minimize the risk of malicious apps exploiting the flaw. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for unusual privilege escalation attempts. Implement robust user training to reduce risky user interactions that could trigger exploitation. Additionally, limit local user privileges where possible and enforce strong access controls on macOS systems. Regularly audit and monitor system logs for signs of privilege escalation or unauthorized root access attempts. For environments with high security requirements, consider isolating macOS systems or restricting their network access until patched. Finally, maintain an incident response plan tailored to macOS environments to quickly address any exploitation attempts.