CVE-2025-43301 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2025
A privacy issue was addressed with improved private data redaction for log entries. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, macOS Tahoe 26. An app may be able to access contact info related to notifications in Notification Center.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2025
This vulnerability represents a significant privacy flaw in apple's operating systems where sensitive contact information could be exposed through notification center interactions. The issue stems from inadequate private data redaction mechanisms within log entries that process notification data, allowing malicious applications to potentially access contact details associated with notifications. The vulnerability affects multiple operating system versions including macos sequoia 15.7, macos sonoma 14.8, and macos tahoe 26, indicating a widespread impact across apple's desktop operating system ecosystem. The flaw specifically relates to how notification center processes and logs contact information, creating potential exposure pathways for private data that should remain protected.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper handling of notification metadata within system logs where contact information is not adequately redacted before being processed or stored. This type of flaw falls under the category of improper data handling and privacy protection mechanisms, aligning with common weakness enumerations such as cwe-200 information exposure and cwe-312 cleartext storage of sensitive data. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege where applications may gain unauthorized access to private contact information that should be restricted to specific system components or user consented operations.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates potential risks for user privacy and data protection across apple devices running the affected operating system versions. Attackers could exploit this weakness to extract contact information from notification logs, potentially enabling social engineering attacks, targeted phishing campaigns, or identity theft operations. The exposure of contact information through notification center interactions represents a significant breach of user trust and privacy expectations. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader privacy protection frameworks and may need to implement additional monitoring or access controls to prevent unauthorized data access.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate deployment of the security updates provided by apple for macos sequoia 15.7, macos sonoma 14.8, and macos tahoe 26. Organizations should prioritize patch management processes to ensure all affected systems receive the necessary updates that implement proper private data redaction for log entries. System administrators should also review existing access controls and logging configurations to verify that notification data handling meets current privacy standards. Additionally, users should be educated about the importance of keeping their systems updated and the potential risks associated with running outdated software versions. The fix addresses the core issue by implementing enhanced redaction mechanisms that prevent contact information from being accessible through notification center logs, aligning with established security practices for protecting personally identifiable information. This vulnerability highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining privacy protection in complex operating system environments where multiple components interact with sensitive user data.