CVE-2025-46291 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/17/2025
A logic issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.2. An app may bypass Gatekeeper checks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-46291 represents a significant security flaw in macOS Tahoe 26.2 that affects the system's Gatekeeper protection mechanism. Gatekeeper serves as a critical security component designed to prevent unauthorized applications from executing on macOS systems by validating software integrity and origin. This logic issue creates a pathway for malicious applications to circumvent the standard security checks that normally protect users from potentially harmful software. The flaw specifically allows applications to bypass Gatekeeper validations, which undermines the fundamental security posture of the operating system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Gatekeeper implementation. When applications attempt to execute on the system, Gatekeeper normally performs checks to verify that software originates from trusted sources and has not been tampered with. However, the logic flaw in macOS Tahoe 26.2 permits certain applications to skip these validation steps entirely. This issue falls under the category of improper input validation as defined by CWE-20, which represents one of the most common software security weaknesses. The vulnerability demonstrates how flawed validation logic can create security bypass opportunities that compromise the entire security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application execution, as it fundamentally weakens the security model that macOS relies upon for user protection. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to distribute malware or unauthorized software that would normally be blocked by Gatekeeper. This creates a scenario where malicious actors could deploy harmful applications without triggering the standard security warnings that users expect to see. The implications are particularly concerning given that Gatekeeper is designed to be an automated defense mechanism that operates transparently to end users. The vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor that allows applications to execute with elevated privileges while bypassing the security checks that should prevent such execution.
Organizations and individual users running macOS Tahoe 26.2 should immediately implement mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary recommended action is to update to the patched version of macOS Tahoe 26.2 that resolves this logic issue. System administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring to detect unauthorized application installations that might exploit this vulnerability. Security teams should review existing application whitelisting policies to ensure that they provide adequate protection even if Gatekeeper checks are bypassed. The mitigation strategy should also include enhanced user education about the importance of verifying application sources and the potential risks of bypassing security warnings. This vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under the T1553 category, which covers subtechniques related to system binary proxy execution and bypassing security controls. The security community should monitor for potential exploitation attempts and consider this vulnerability as part of broader threat intelligence assessments for macOS environments.