Overview
The vulnerability, CVE-2025-43198, is a critical issue that was identified in certain versions of macOS, namely Sequoia 15.6 and Sonoma 14.7.7. This vulnerability, which has a CVSS Severity score of 9.8, could potentially lead to a massive system compromise or data leak if exploited. It primarily affects macOS users who have not yet updated to the fixed versions, and it matters because it can allow an app to access sensitive user data that should be protected.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-43198
Severity: Critical (9.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Application
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
macOS Sequoia | 15.6
macOS Sonoma | 14.7.7
How the Exploit Works
The exploit works by manipulating a specific application to access the protected user data. Due to the vulnerability in the code, the application can bypass the security measures and gain access to the data. This can potentially lead to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This is a hypothetical scenario involving a malicious application that uses the exploit:
func exploitVulnerability() {
let protectedData = ProtectedUserData()
if let data = protectedData.access() {
print("Accessed protected user data: \(data)")
} else {
print("Failed to access protected user data")
}
}
class ProtectedUserData {
func access() -> String? {
// The following code contains the vulnerability CVE-2025-43198
// which allows unauthorized access to protected user data
return "Protected user data"
}
}
let maliciousApp = MaliciousApp()
maliciousApp.exploitVulnerability()In this example, the `exploitVulnerability` function in the `MaliciousApp` class is able to access protected user data through the vulnerability in the `ProtectedUserData` class.
How to Mitigate the Issue
The best way to mitigate the issue is to apply the vendor patch from Apple, which removes the vulnerable code. The issue is fixed in later versions of macOS Sequoia and macOS Sonoma. As a temporary mitigation, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used. These can monitor and block malicious activities, providing an additional layer of security while the patch is being applied.