CVE-2025-43466 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2025
An injection issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.1. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical injection flaw that affects macOS Tahoe 26.1 systems, where inadequate input validation allows malicious applications to potentially access sensitive user data. The issue stems from insufficient sanitization of user inputs or system calls that could be exploited by crafted payloads to bypass security controls. According to CWE-94, this vulnerability aligns with code injection flaws where attacker-controlled data is executed as code, while the broader implications relate to CWE-20 which covers input validation issues. The vulnerability exists in the operating system's core validation mechanisms, creating a pathway for unauthorized data access that could compromise user privacy and system integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when applications fail to properly validate or sanitize inputs before processing them within the system. Attackers can craft malicious inputs that, when processed by the vulnerable system components, trigger unintended behavior allowing access to protected user data. This type of injection vulnerability can manifest through various vectors including command injection, code injection, or data injection depending on the specific implementation details. The flaw essentially creates a trust boundary violation where legitimate system components may be manipulated to execute unauthorized operations, potentially leading to data exfiltration or further privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access, as it represents a fundamental breach in the system's security model. Organizations relying on macOS Tahoe 26.1 systems face potential exposure of sensitive user information including personal data, credentials, and confidential communications. The vulnerability's exploitation could enable persistent access to user accounts, allowing for long-term data harvesting or system compromise. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1074 Data Staged, where attackers can leverage injection flaws to execute malicious code and subsequently harvest sensitive information. The risk assessment indicates that this vulnerability could be exploited by both sophisticated adversaries and automated attack tools due to its reliance on basic input validation failures.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate system updates to macOS Tahoe 26.1 to address the validation issues. Organizations must implement comprehensive input validation across all application interfaces and system components to prevent similar injection attacks. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify potential injection points within custom applications and ensure proper sanitization of all user inputs. Network monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect anomalous data access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security audits can help reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The fix implemented in the updated macOS version demonstrates the importance of proper validation mechanisms and highlights the need for continuous security testing and patch management processes to prevent exploitation of similar injection flaws in future releases.