CVE-2025-43264
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 · uneditedThe issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.6. Processing a maliciously crafted image may corrupt process memory.
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 confidenceThis is a memory corruption vulnerability in macOS Sequoia's image processing subsystem. When the operating system processes a maliciously crafted image file, it can corrupt process memory due to improper memory handling, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or denial of service. The vulnerability was addressed with improved memory management in macOS Sequoia 15.6.
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< 15.6CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal to retrieve the current macOS version numberAffected if The version is less than 15.6 (e.g., 15.5, 15.4, 14.x, etc.)
-
Verify build number if on 15.xRun 'sw_vers -buildVersion' and compare to the 15.6 build number (24F83) - note that some 15.5 builds may also contain the fix depending on patch timingAffected if Build version is earlier than the 15.6 build that contains the fix
-
Check ImageIO framework versionRun 'codesign -dv /System/Library/Frameworks/ImageIO.framework/ImageIO 2>&1 | grep -i version' or check /System/Library/Frameworks/ImageIO.framework/Resources/Info.plist for CFBundleVersionAffected if ImageIO framework version corresponds to an unpatched release prior to the 15.6 update
The environment is affected if the installed macOS version is below 15.6, as the memory corruption vulnerability in image processing exists only in unpatched versions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped15.6
Apply macOS Sequoia 15.6 or later security update to remediate the vulnerability. Until patched, avoid opening or processing images from untrusted or unknown sources.
macOS Sequoia 15.6
- Back up important data before updating the operating system
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Navigate to General > Software Update
- Ensure macOS Sequoia 15.6 is shown as available
- Click 'Update Now' or 'Upgrade Now' to download and install macOS Sequoia 15.6
- Restart the Mac when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-43264 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-43264 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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