CVE-2025-43500 is a privacy vulnerability identified in Apple’s macOS and other Apple operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS) prior to version 26.1. The root cause is an issue in the handling of user preferences, which allows a malicious or compromised application to access sensitive user data without requiring any privileges or user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-359 (Exposure of Private Information Through Environmental Variables), indicating that the application can bypass intended access controls to read confidential data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting a network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction needed (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), high confidentiality impact (C:H), and no impact on integrity or availability (I:N/A:N). This means an attacker can remotely exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, potentially leading to privacy breaches or data leakage. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple in version 26.1 of macOS Tahoe and other Apple OSes, improving the handling of user preferences to prevent unauthorized access. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported yet, but the nature of the vulnerability makes it a significant risk for environments with sensitive data on Apple devices.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-43500 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user data, which can include personal information, credentials, or corporate secrets stored or accessible on Apple devices. This breach of confidentiality can lead to privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), reputational damage, and potential financial losses. Since the vulnerability requires no privileges or user interaction, it lowers the barrier for attackers to exploit it remotely, increasing the risk surface. Organizations relying heavily on Apple ecosystems—such as creative industries, finance, healthcare, and government—may face targeted attacks aiming to extract sensitive data. The absence of integrity or availability impact means the threat is focused on data confidentiality rather than system disruption. However, the exposure of sensitive data can facilitate further attacks, including phishing or social engineering campaigns. The lack of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation before widespread exploitation occurs.

1. Immediately update all Apple devices (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS) to version 26.1 or later to apply the official fix. 2. Conduct an inventory of all Apple devices within the organization to ensure compliance with patching policies. 3. Restrict installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications, especially those requesting access to user preferences or sensitive data. 4. Implement application whitelisting and use Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce security policies on Apple devices. 5. Monitor system and application logs for unusual access patterns to user preference files or sensitive data stores. 6. Educate users about the risks of installing unverified apps and the importance of timely updates. 7. Review and tighten privacy and permission settings on Apple devices to minimize data exposure. 8. Prepare incident response plans that include steps for data breach containment and notification in case of exploitation. 9. Coordinate with Apple support channels for any additional security advisories or patches. 10. Consider network segmentation to isolate critical Apple devices and limit exposure to potential attackers.