CVE-2025-43497 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2025
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.1. An app may be able to break out of its sandbox.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2025
This vulnerability represents a sandbox escape issue that affects macOS Tahoe 26.1 and earlier versions, where an application may potentially bypass its designated security boundaries. The flaw stems from insufficient sandbox restrictions that allow malicious or compromised applications to access resources beyond their intended operational scope. Such sandbox violations fundamentally undermine the security model designed to isolate applications and prevent unauthorized system access. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-276 as improper permissions or privilege settings, which directly relates to the inadequate enforcement of application sandboxing mechanisms. From an operational perspective, this issue enables adversaries to escalate privileges and potentially access sensitive system resources, user data, or other applications running within the same environment. The attack surface expands significantly as sandboxed applications can now interact with system components that should remain restricted, creating opportunities for data exfiltration, system compromise, or lateral movement within the affected environment.
The technical implementation of this sandbox escape likely involves exploiting weaknesses in the kernel-level security controls that enforce application boundaries. This could manifest through improper handling of inter-process communication channels, insufficient validation of system calls, or flawed privilege escalation mechanisms within the macOS security framework. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 which covers abuse of group policy or privilege escalation through system-level modifications. Attackers could leverage this flaw to gain access to sensitive information stored in protected areas, manipulate system configurations, or establish persistence mechanisms within the operating system. The impact extends beyond individual applications as the compromised sandboxed environment can serve as a foothold for broader system compromise, particularly when combined with other exploitation techniques. This vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement within macOS security architecture, where applications should only have access to resources strictly necessary for their function.
The remediation for this vulnerability requires immediate deployment of macOS Tahoe 26.1 or later versions where Apple has implemented additional sandbox restrictions to prevent unauthorized breakout attempts. System administrators should prioritize patching across all affected endpoints and conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred prior to the fix. Organizations should implement monitoring solutions that track abnormal application behavior patterns which might indicate sandbox escape attempts. Security teams should also review existing application sandbox policies and ensure that proper access controls are in place to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. The fix addresses the root cause by strengthening kernel-level sandbox enforcement mechanisms and improving the validation of system resource access requests from sandboxed applications. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date operating system versions and the need for continuous security monitoring to detect and respond to emerging threats that exploit fundamental security architecture weaknesses.