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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2025-43381: Apple macOS · Link Following

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 26.1 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
5.5Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 26.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 12 Dec 2025

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Apple macOSAffected
  • =0
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

  1. Immediately update all macOS systems to macOS Tahoe 26.1 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed.
  2. Restrict installation of untrusted or unsigned applications to minimize the risk of malicious apps gaining local access.
  3. Employ endpoint protection solutions that monitor and restrict unauthorized file system modifications, including symlink manipulations.
  4. Implement strict user privilege management to limit the ability of applications to perform file deletions, especially in protected directories.
  5. Regularly back up critical user data to secure, isolated storage to enable recovery in case of data deletion.
  6. Monitor system logs for suspicious file system activities indicative of symlink exploitation attempts.
  7. Educate users about the risks of running untrusted software and the importance of applying security updates promptly. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on symlink-specific protections and operational controls tailored to the nature of this vulnerability.

Description

This issue was addressed with improved handling of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.1. A malicious app may be able to delete protected user data.

References

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