CVE-2025-43387 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Apple macOS identified as a permissions issue where a malicious application operating with limited privileges can gain root-level access. The root cause is linked to insufficient enforcement of permission restrictions, categorized under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization). This flaw allows an attacker with local access and low privileges to bypass security controls without requiring user interaction, escalating their privileges to root. The vulnerability affects unspecified versions of macOS prior to the patched releases: macOS Sequoia 15.7.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.1. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating high severity, with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning the attack requires local access with low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level. Apple has addressed the issue by adding additional restrictions to the permissions model, mitigating the risk of unauthorized privilege escalation. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk if leveraged by attackers to gain full control over affected systems.

The impact of CVE-2025-43387 is substantial for organizations using macOS systems. Successful exploitation grants attackers root privileges, enabling complete control over the system, including access to sensitive data, installation of persistent malware, disabling security controls, and disruption of system availability. This can lead to data breaches, loss of intellectual property, operational downtime, and compromise of other networked systems. Environments with shared or multi-user access, such as enterprise workstations, development machines, or public kiosks running macOS, are particularly at risk. The vulnerability also threatens the integrity of critical infrastructure and sensitive government or corporate environments that rely on macOS. Although exploitation requires local access, the ease of privilege escalation without user interaction increases the threat level, especially in scenarios where attackers gain initial foothold through other means such as phishing or physical access.

Organizations should immediately apply the security updates provided by Apple in macOS Sequoia 15.7.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.1 to remediate this vulnerability. Beyond patching, implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges and restrict installation of untrusted applications. Employ endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting suspicious privilege escalation attempts. Use application whitelisting and system integrity protection features native to macOS to reduce attack surface. Regularly audit user accounts and permissions to ensure minimal privilege principles are enforced. For environments with shared access, consider additional physical security controls and session monitoring to detect unauthorized activities. Educate users about the risks of running untrusted software and maintain up-to-date backups to recover from potential compromises. Monitoring system logs for unusual privilege escalation attempts can provide early warning signs of exploitation attempts.