CVE-2025-43473 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that allows an application to access sensitive user data improperly due to flawed state management. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-200, indicating an information exposure issue. The root cause involves the operating system failing to adequately isolate or protect sensitive data states, enabling an app with limited privileges (local access and low complexity) to read data it should not access. The vulnerability does not require user interaction, increasing the risk of silent data leakage. It affects unspecified versions of macOS prior to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which includes the fix through improved state management. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5, with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, indicating a local attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, high confidentiality impact, and no impact on integrity or availability. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time, but the vulnerability poses a risk to confidentiality of user data on affected systems. The vulnerability is significant in environments where local app installation is possible and sensitive data confidentiality is critical.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user data on macOS devices, potentially including personal information, credentials, or proprietary data. This breach of confidentiality could result in privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), reputational damage, and potential financial losses. Since exploitation requires local access and limited privileges, insider threats or compromised user accounts could leverage this flaw. Organizations with a high density of macOS endpoints, such as creative industries, financial services, and governmental agencies, may face elevated risks. The absence of impact on integrity and availability limits the threat to data exposure rather than system disruption. However, the medium severity rating and lack of required user interaction mean that attackers can quietly extract data once local access is gained, increasing the stealth and potential damage of an attack.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading all macOS devices to version Tahoe 26.1 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Implement strict application control policies to limit installation and execution of untrusted or unnecessary local applications, reducing the attack surface. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for unusual local app behavior indicative of data access attempts. Enforce least privilege principles for user accounts to minimize the risk of privilege escalation or misuse. Conduct regular audits of installed applications and user permissions on macOS systems. Educate users about the risks of installing unauthorized software and the importance of reporting suspicious activity. Where possible, use data encryption and secure storage mechanisms to add additional layers of protection for sensitive data. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans tailored to data exposure scenarios.