CVE-2025-43390
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 · uneditedA downgrade issue affecting Intel-based Mac computers was addressed with additional code-signing restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1. An app may be able to access user-sensitive 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 confidenceA downgrade vulnerability in macOS allowed attackers to bypass code-signing restrictions on Intel-based Mac computers, potentially enabling a malicious app to access user-sensitive data. The issue was addressed by adding stricter code-signing validation to prevent downgrade attacks.
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< 15.7.2CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed macOS versionOpen Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersionAffected if Version is lower than 15.7.2 (e.g., 15.7.1, 15.6, 14.x, etc.)
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Identify Mac processor architectureOpen Terminal and run: sysctl -n machdep.cpu.brand_string or check System Information > About > ProcessorAffected if Mac uses an Intel processor (Intel-based). Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4 chips) are not affected by this specific vulnerability.
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Verify code-signing status (optional confirmation)Run: codesign -dv /path/to/application.app 2>&1 | grep -i hashAffected if Not a direct detection - this checks if an app has valid code signatures, which the vulnerability allows to be bypassed on vulnerable systems.
You are affected if running macOS version lower than 15.7.2 on an Intel-based Mac computer; Apple Silicon Macs are not vulnerable to this downgrade attack.
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 · scoped15.7.2
Apply the vendor-supplied macOS updates (Sequoia 15.7.2 or Tahoe 26.1) to Intel-based Mac systems to implement the additional code-signing restrictions.
macOS Sequoia 15.7.2 or later for Intel-based Mac computers
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method before updating
- Connect your Mac to power and ensure stable internet connection
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
- Navigate to General > Software Update
- Allow macOS to check for updates and install any available updates
- Ensure you install macOS 15.7.2 or later (for Intel-based Macs)
- Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-43390 — 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-2025-43390 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
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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