CVE-2025-43402
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 15.7.4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, macOS Tahoe 26.1. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or 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 confidenceA memory handling vulnerability in macOS allows a malicious or compromised application to cause unexpected system termination (kernel panic) or corrupt process memory. The issue was addressed with improved memory handling in the affected macOS versions.
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< 26.1CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 versionClick the Apple menu, select 'About This Mac', or run 'sw_vers' in Terminal to display the macOS version number (e.g., 15.7.4, 14.8.4, 26.1)Affected if The reported version is less than 26.1 (for example, 15.7.3, 14.8.3, or any earlier release)
-
Confirm macOS release nameIn 'About This Mac' or via 'sw_vers -productVersion', note whether the system runs Sequoia (15.x), Sonoma (14.x), or an older macOS releaseAffected if The system is running Sequoia prior to 15.7.4, Sonoma prior to 14.8.4, or any version of an older macOS release
-
Check if security update was appliedOpen System Settings > General > Software Update to see installed updates, or run 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' in Terminal to view installed system updatesAffected if The security updates (Sequoia 15.7.4, Sonoma 14.8.4, or Tahoe 26.1) are not listed as installed
The environment is affected if the installed macOS version is below 26.1 AND the corresponding security update (15.7.4 for Sequoia, 14.8.4 for Sonoma, or 26.1 for Tahoe) has not been installed.
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 · scoped26.1
Apply the macOS security updates: Sequoia 15.7.4, Sonoma 14.8.4, or Tahoe 26.1 as appropriate for the deployment. This is a client-side OS patch; no custom code remediation is required.
macOS Sequoia 15.7.4 / macOS Sonoma 14.8.4 / macOS Tahoe 26.1 (depending on Mac model)
- Check current macOS version by clicking Apple menu > About This Mac
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup method
- Ensure the device is connected to power and has sufficient free disk space
- Install the appropriate macOS update: macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, or macOS Tahoe 26.1 depending on your Mac model
- Restart the device after the update completes
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 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 $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-43402 — 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-2025-43402 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