CVE-2025-43522 is a security vulnerability identified in Intel-based Apple macOS systems, specifically addressed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.3 and macOS Tahoe 26.2. The root cause is a downgrade issue related to code-signing restrictions, which are security mechanisms designed to ensure that only trusted applications run on the system. This vulnerability allows an application with local privileges to bypass these code-signing restrictions and potentially access user-sensitive data without proper authorization. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-347, which relates to improper verification of cryptographic signatures. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.3 (low), with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and limited confidentiality impact (C:L). This means exploitation requires local access and some privileges but no user interaction, and the impact is limited to confidentiality without affecting integrity or availability. Apple has not reported any known exploits in the wild, indicating this vulnerability is not actively exploited at this time. The fix involves enhanced code-signing restrictions to prevent downgrade attacks that could circumvent security checks. Organizations running affected macOS versions on Intel hardware should apply the security updates promptly to close this attack vector.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-43522 is unauthorized access to user-sensitive data on affected Intel-based macOS systems. While the vulnerability does not allow modification or deletion of data (no integrity or availability impact), the confidentiality breach could expose personal or corporate information to malicious local applications. This could lead to privacy violations, leakage of sensitive credentials, or exposure of confidential documents. Since exploitation requires local privileges, the threat is more relevant in environments where multiple users share systems or where attackers have gained limited access through other means. The low CVSS score reflects the limited scope and complexity of exploitation, but organizations with sensitive data on Intel Macs should consider the risk significant enough to warrant patching. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. Overall, the impact is moderate for individual users and low to medium for organizations depending on their threat model and data sensitivity.

1. Apply the security updates provided by Apple immediately by upgrading to macOS Sequoia 15.7.3 or macOS Tahoe 26.2 or later versions to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2. Restrict local user privileges to the minimum necessary to reduce the risk of local exploitation. 3. Implement application whitelisting and strict code-signing policies to prevent untrusted applications from running. 4. Monitor systems for unusual local application behavior or attempts to bypass code-signing restrictions. 5. Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted software and the importance of system updates. 6. In environments with shared systems, enforce strong access controls and consider endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect suspicious local activity. 7. Regularly audit installed applications and their code-signing status to identify potential downgrade or tampering attempts. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on local privilege management, code-signing enforcement, and proactive monitoring tailored to this vulnerability's nature.