CVE-2025-43461VulnerabilityPublished 12 Dec 2025Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2025-43461: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access protected user data

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

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

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 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:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 12 Dec 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apple macOS	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

1. Upgrade all affected macOS systems to version Tahoe 26.1 or later, which includes the patch for this vulnerability with improved symlink validation. 2. Implement strict application control policies to limit the execution of untrusted or unnecessary applications, reducing the risk of local exploitation. 3. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring suspicious filesystem activities, including abnormal symlink creation or access patterns. 4. Enforce the principle of least privilege by restricting user permissions and avoiding granting unnecessary local access rights. 5. Regularly audit and monitor user accounts and installed applications for signs of compromise or unauthorized activity. 6. Educate users about the risks of running untrusted software and the importance of reporting unusual system behavior. 7. Consider using macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and sandboxing to limit the impact of compromised applications. 8. Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from potential data breaches.

Description

This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.1. An app may be able to access protected user data.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2025-43461 is unauthorized disclosure of protected user data on affected macOS systems. This can lead to privacy violations, leakage of sensitive personal or corporate information, and potential compliance issues for organizations handling regulated data. Since the vulnerability requires local access with low privileges, it can be exploited by malicious insiders, compromised user accounts, or malware that has gained foothold on the system. The lack of user interaction requirement increases the risk of automated or stealthy exploitation. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach alone can have serious consequences, including identity theft, corporate espionage, and reputational damage. Organizations with macOS endpoints in sensitive sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and technology are particularly at risk. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk, especially as attackers may develop exploits once the vulnerability details become widely known.

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: MediumOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Symlink Attack (opens in a new tab)
Using Malicious Files (opens in a new tab)
Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files (opens in a new tab)
Manipulating Web Input to File System Calls (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

support.apple.com/en-us/125634 (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 02:25 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-59

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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