CVE-2025-55076 identifies a critical local privilege escalation vulnerability in the InstallationHelper service bundled with Plugin Alliance Installation Manager version 1.4.0 for macOS. The core issue stems from the service accepting unauthenticated XPC (Interprocess Communication) connections, which are used in macOS for communication between processes. The service improperly handles input by passing it directly to the system() function without validation or sanitization. This unsafe practice allows a local attacker with access to the system to execute arbitrary shell commands with root privileges, effectively bypassing normal user privilege restrictions. Since the vulnerability is local, an attacker must have some level of access to the target machine, but no authentication or user interaction is required to exploit it. The vulnerability could be leveraged to install malware, manipulate system configurations, or exfiltrate sensitive data with elevated privileges. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the straightforward nature of the flaw and the use of system() make it a high-risk issue. The lack of a CVSS score means severity must be inferred from the technical details, which indicate a high potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. The vulnerability affects macOS environments where Plugin Alliance Installation Manager is installed, primarily targeting creative professionals and organizations using audio production software. The published date is December 3, 2025, with the vulnerability reserved on November 25, 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially those in the creative, audio production, and multimedia sectors that commonly use Plugin Alliance products on macOS. Successful exploitation allows attackers to gain root-level access, potentially leading to full system compromise, unauthorized data access, and disruption of critical workflows. This could result in intellectual property theft, sabotage of audio production environments, and broader network infiltration if the compromised machine is connected to corporate infrastructure. Given the local nature of the attack, insider threats or attackers who gain initial foothold through other means could escalate privileges rapidly. The impact extends to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems, with potential regulatory implications under GDPR if sensitive data is exposed. The absence of known exploits provides a window for mitigation, but the high severity necessitates urgent attention to prevent exploitation in European markets where macOS usage is prevalent.

European organizations should immediately audit their macOS systems for the presence of Plugin Alliance Installation Manager v1.4.0 and related InstallationHelper services. Until an official patch is released, mitigation steps include restricting local access to trusted users only, disabling or removing the InstallationHelper service if not essential, and monitoring for unusual local XPC connection attempts or command executions. Employing macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) and ensuring endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions are configured to detect privilege escalation behaviors can help. Organizations should also implement strict access controls and user privilege management to limit the risk of local exploitation. Regularly checking Plugin Alliance’s official channels for patches or updates and applying them promptly once available is critical. Additionally, conducting user awareness training to prevent unauthorized local access and maintaining comprehensive logging for forensic analysis will strengthen defenses against exploitation attempts.