CVE-2025-43244: Race Condition Vulnerability in macOS Leading to Potential System Compromise

Overview

The CVE-2025-43244 vulnerability is a critical issue that resides in multiple versions of macOS. The vulnerability arises from a race condition that was not adequately managed, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage if exploited. This issue was addressed with improved state handling and affects macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, and macOS Ventura 13.7.7. The severity of this vulnerability and the fact that it affects widely-used operating systems make it a matter of utmost concern for users and administrators alike.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-43244
Severity: Critical (9.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

macOS Sequoia | 15.6
macOS Sonoma | 14.7.7
macOS Ventura | 13.7.7

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability is a race condition that exists due to inadequate state handling. In a race condition, the system’s behavior is dependent on the sequence or timing of uncontrollable events. In this case, the vulnerability could allow an app to trigger a state where the system could be terminated unexpectedly. If a malicious actor exploits this vulnerability, they could potentially cause system compromise or data leakage.

Conceptual Example Code

Here’s a conceptual example of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability using a maliciously crafted application:

public class MaliciousApp {
public static void main(String[] args) {
while(true) {
triggerRaceCondition();
}
}
private static void triggerRaceCondition() {
// Logic to manipulate the state of the system in a way
// that causes unexpected termination
}
}

This example simplifies the exploit for illustrative purposes. The exact code to exploit this vulnerability would be much more complex and specific to the internals of the macOS system.
Remember, this code block is not intended to be a practical implementation of an exploit. It is simply an illustrative example of the kind of logic a malicious application might use to exploit this vulnerability.