CVE-2025-43194
Published: 30 July 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-43194 is a critical-severity Improper Access Control (CWE-284) vulnerability in Apple Macos. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Linux and Mac Permissions (T1222.002); ranked at the 32.2th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-25 (Reference Monitor) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Enforces approved authorizations for access to system resources, directly preventing apps from modifying protected macOS file system parts due to improper checks.
Implements a tamper-proof reference monitor to mediate all access decisions, addressing the core failure in macOS checks that allowed unauthorized file system modifications.
Requires timely flaw remediation through patches like macOS Sequoia 15.6, Sonoma 14.7.7, and Ventura 13.7.7 that fix the improper access control vulnerability.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Vulnerability directly permits unauthorized modification of protected macOS file system regions, aligning with file/directory permission abuse on Unix-like systems.
NVD Description
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.7.7. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-43194 is an improper access control vulnerability (CWE-284) in macOS that enables an app to modify protected parts of the file system. The issue was addressed through improved checks and is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, and macOS Ventura 13.7.7, meaning earlier versions of these macOS releases are affected.
With a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), the vulnerability allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to exploit it over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required. A malicious app can be used to achieve high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability by altering protected file system regions.
Apple security advisories, including support documents at https://support.apple.com/en-us/124149, https://support.apple.com/en-us/124150, and https://support.apple.com/en-us/124151, confirm the fixes in the listed macOS updates. Additional details appear in full disclosure postings at http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Jul/32 and http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Jul/33, recommending users apply the patches promptly to mitigate the risk.
Details
- CWE(s)