CVE-2025-43341 is a vulnerability in Apple macOS identified as a permissions issue that could allow an application to gain root privileges. The vulnerability stems from insufficient restrictions on certain system permissions, enabling an app with limited privileges to escalate its access rights to the highest system level—root. This escalation can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. The issue was addressed by Apple in macOS Sonoma 14.8, which introduced additional restrictions to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high-severity vulnerability. The vector metrics specify that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), privileges already present but limited (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and results in high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability represents a significant risk if exploited, as it allows full control over the system. The CWE classification CWE-862 relates to improper authorization, confirming that the root cause is inadequate permission checks. The affected versions are unspecified, but the fix is included in macOS Sonoma 14.8, so earlier versions are likely vulnerable. This vulnerability is particularly critical for environments where macOS devices are used for sensitive operations or store critical data.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the potential for local privilege escalation to root, enabling attackers to fully compromise affected macOS systems. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, disruption of business operations, and potential lateral movement within networks. Organizations in sectors such as finance, government, technology, and critical infrastructure that use macOS devices for administrative or operational tasks are especially vulnerable. The impact extends to confidentiality breaches, data integrity violations, and service availability interruptions. Since exploitation requires local access with some privileges, insider threats or malware that gains initial foothold could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges. The lack of required user interaction increases the risk of automated or stealthy exploitation. Given the widespread use of Apple devices in European enterprises and public sector entities, the vulnerability could have broad implications if not promptly mitigated.

European organizations should immediately verify the macOS versions deployed across their environments and prioritize upgrading all affected systems to macOS Sonoma 14.8 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Implement strict local user privilege management to minimize the number of users and applications with elevated privileges. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for suspicious local privilege escalation attempts. Conduct regular audits of installed applications and their permission levels to detect unauthorized or potentially malicious software. Restrict physical and remote access to macOS devices to trusted personnel only, reducing the risk of local exploitation. Additionally, organizations should enforce strong access controls and consider application whitelisting to prevent untrusted apps from executing. Security awareness training should emphasize the risks of local privilege escalation and the importance of reporting suspicious behavior. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans tailored to macOS environments to ensure rapid recovery if exploitation occurs.