dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2025-43195

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-07-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.7.7 / 14.7.7 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An issue existed in the handling of environment variables. This issue was addressed with improved validation. 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 access sensitive user data.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This macOS vulnerability stems from improper validation of environment variables, which could allow a malicious application to bypass security restrictions and access sensitive user data. The fix in macOS Sequoia 15.6, Sonoma 14.7.7, and Ventura 13.7.7 implements improved validation checks on environment variable handling.

MitigationApply the macOS security updates (15.6, 14.7.7, or 13.7.7 depending on version) to all affected systems. For systems that cannot be updated immediately, restrict application installations to trusted sources and monitor for suspicious process behavior.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 13.7.7>= 14.0, < 14.7.7>= 15.0, < 15.6

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed macOS version via command line
    Run `sw_vers -productVersion` in Terminal
    Affected if The version output is < 13.7.7, OR >= 14.0 and < 14.7.7, OR >= 15.0 and < 15.6
  2. Verify macOS version via System Settings
    Open System Settings > General > About and note the version number (for example, 14.5 or 15.4)
    Affected if The displayed version falls within any of the affected ranges listed above
  3. Check for pending software updates
    Open System Settings > General > Software Update and check if any updates are available
    Affected if A security update (15.6, 14.7.7, or 13.7.7) appears as available but has not been installed
  4. Alternative: Check via system_profiler
    Run `system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType` in Terminal and locate the System Version line
    Affected if The reported version matches any of the vulnerable version ranges

A system is affected if it runs macOS Ventura below 13.7.7, macOS Sonoma between 14.0 and 14.7.6, or macOS Sequoia between 15.0 and 15.5.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 13.7.7 / 14.7.7 / 15.6 or later
Fixed in 13.7.714.7.715.6
Interim mitigation

Apply the macOS security updates (15.6, 14.7.7, or 13.7.7 depending on version) to all affected systems. For systems that cannot be updated immediately, restrict application installations to trusted sources and monitor for suspicious process behavior.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Ventura 13.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, or macOS Sequoia 15.6 (depending on your current macOS version)

  1. Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution before proceeding
  2. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
  3. Navigate to General > Software Update
  4. Click 'Check for Update' or allow the system to automatically check
  5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' or 'Upgrade Now'
  6. Enter your administrator password when prompted
  7. Allow the update to download and install - this may take some time
  8. Your Mac will restart during the installation process
Caveat Standard macOS point releases typically have minimal breaking changes; ensure critical applications are compatible and back up data before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-43195 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data