CVE-2025-43341 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2025
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sonoma 14.8, macOS Tahoe 26. An app may be able to gain root privileges.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical permissions flaw in apple's macOS operating system that could potentially allow malicious applications to escalate their privileges to root level access. The issue stems from insufficient access controls that permit unauthorized applications to bypass normal security boundaries and execute code with the highest possible system privileges. The vulnerability affects specific versions of macOS Sonoma and Tahoe, indicating that the permission model was compromised in these particular releases. According to industry standards, this type of flaw would be classified under CWE-276, which deals with incorrect permissions for critical resources, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers local privilege escalation through improper access control mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of weak permission checks within the operating system's kernel or system services. When an application attempts to access restricted system resources or execute privileged operations, the normal permission validation mechanisms fail to properly enforce access controls. This failure creates a pathway for malicious software to bypass the standard security model that typically prevents applications from running with root privileges. The flaw likely exists in how the system validates user credentials or checks application permissions when performing sensitive operations that require elevated privileges.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to system integrity and data security. An attacker who successfully exploits this permission issue could gain complete control over affected systems, enabling them to modify system files, install persistent malware, access all user data, and potentially compromise network infrastructure. The impact extends beyond individual devices to potential network-wide consequences, especially in enterprise environments where macOS systems may be connected to critical infrastructure. The ability to escalate to root privileges means that the attacker could effectively neutralize all other security controls and establish persistent backdoors within the system.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including deploying the available security updates for macOS Sonoma 14.8 and macOS Tahoe 26, which contain the necessary patches to address the permission restrictions. System administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potentially compromised systems before the patches are applied. Additional defensive measures include implementing application whitelisting policies, monitoring for unusual privilege escalation attempts, and ensuring that only trusted applications are installed on affected systems. The mitigation strategy should also include network segmentation to limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, along with regular security audits to verify that the permission controls are properly enforced. Compliance with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 should be maintained throughout the remediation process to ensure that the system's security posture remains robust against similar vulnerabilities.