CVE-2025-43357 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2025
This issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7 and iPadOS 18.7, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, macOS Tahoe 26. An app may be able to fingerprint the user.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2026
This vulnerability represents a significant privacy concern in Apple's operating systems where inadequate redaction of sensitive information could potentially enable malicious applications to perform user fingerprinting attacks. The flaw existed in macOS Tahoe 26, iOS 26, and iPadOS 26, allowing apps to gather identifying information that could be used to uniquely identify users across different applications and sessions. The vulnerability stems from insufficient data sanitization processes that failed to properly obscure sensitive user attributes during information processing or display operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper handling of sensitive data within system-level processes that should have automatically redacted identifying characteristics before exposing information to applications. This type of flaw typically occurs when developers fail to implement comprehensive data sanitization routines or when system-level protections are inadequately configured to prevent information leakage. The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-200, which specifically addresses Information Exposure, and relates to CWE-116, Information Exposure Through Improper Redaction, making it a clear example of how insufficient data handling practices can compromise user privacy.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially enable sophisticated tracking mechanisms that could persist across application boundaries and device sessions. Attackers could leverage this weakness to build comprehensive user profiles that include behavioral patterns, device characteristics, and other identifying information. This capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which covers "Credentials In Files" and represents how adversaries can exploit information exposure to gather user identification data. The fingerprinting potential means that malicious applications could track user activities across different platforms and services, creating persistent identification mechanisms that bypass traditional privacy protections.
Apple addressed this vulnerability through enhanced redaction mechanisms that ensure sensitive information is properly sanitized before being made available to applications. The fix implemented in macOS Tahoe 26, iOS 26, and iPadOS 26 includes improved data sanitization routines that automatically identify and redact identifying characteristics from system-level information flows. This update represents a critical privacy enhancement that prevents applications from accessing or inferring user identification data through indirect means. Organizations should ensure immediate deployment of these updates to protect user privacy and maintain compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. The mitigation strategy focuses on maintaining proper data handling practices and ensuring that system-level information flows include robust redaction mechanisms to prevent unintended information exposure.