CVE-2025-43336 is a permissions-based vulnerability in Apple macOS that allows applications running with root privileges to access private information improperly. The root cause is a permissions issue that was mitigated by Apple through additional restrictions in the affected macOS versions: Sequoia 15.7.2, Tahoe 26.1, and Sonoma 14.8.2. The vulnerability falls under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), indicating that the system failed to enforce proper access controls for sensitive data. The CVSS v3.1 score is 4.4 (medium), reflecting that exploitation requires local access with high privileges (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality (C:H) but not integrity or availability. The attack vector is local (AV:L), meaning an attacker or malicious app must already have root privileges on the system to exploit this issue. While no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized data disclosure if a malicious or compromised root-level app is present. This vulnerability highlights the importance of strict access control enforcement even for privileged processes, as root-level access should not automatically grant unrestricted access to all private information without proper authorization checks. The fix involves enhanced permission restrictions to prevent root apps from accessing data beyond their legitimate scope.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-43336 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or private information on macOS systems where apps run with root privileges. This could include confidential business data, personal information, or intellectual property. Although exploitation requires root access, which limits the attack surface, the presence of this vulnerability increases risk if an attacker or insider gains elevated privileges. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure that use macOS devices for sensitive operations could face data confidentiality breaches, regulatory compliance issues (e.g., GDPR), and reputational damage. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, so it is less likely to cause system outages or data corruption. However, the confidentiality impact alone is significant for organizations handling sensitive data. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially in environments where root-level apps are installed or where privilege escalation attacks are possible.

1. Apply the latest macOS updates immediately: upgrade to Sequoia 15.7.2, Tahoe 26.1, Sonoma 14.8.2, or later versions containing the fix. 2. Restrict the installation and execution of applications with root privileges to only trusted and verified software. 3. Implement strict endpoint security controls and monitoring to detect and prevent unauthorized privilege escalations or suspicious root-level app behavior. 4. Use macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Apple’s Endpoint Security framework to limit root app capabilities. 5. Conduct regular audits of privileged accounts and applications to ensure no unauthorized root-level apps exist. 6. Employ data encryption and access controls on sensitive data to add layers of protection even if root access is compromised. 7. Educate system administrators and users about the risks of running untrusted apps with elevated privileges. 8. Integrate macOS vulnerability management into the broader organizational patch management and risk assessment processes.