CVE-2025-43451
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 permissions issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26. 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 confidenceThis is a permissions vulnerability in macOS where an application could improperly access sensitive user data. The fix was implemented by removing the vulnerable code path. The issue is corrected in macOS Tahoe 26.
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< 26.0CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 -ProductVersion' or click Apple menu > About This MacAffected if The version displayed is less than 26.0 (for example, 25.x, 24.x, etc.)
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Verify build number correlates with major versionRun 'sw_vers -BuildVersion' in Terminal - note that macOS 26 builds will have a build number starting with 26Affected if The build number suggests a pre-26 release despite the version number showing 26.x
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Confirm system is not patchedCheck /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/SystemVersion.plist for ProductVersion - this file reflects the actual installed OS versionAffected if The ProductVersion value is below 26.0
The system is affected if the installed macOS version is any release prior to 26.0, as the vulnerable code path existed in earlier versions and was removed in macOS Tahoe 26.
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 · scoped26.0
Update to macOS Tahoe 26 when available. Review and restrict application permissions to sensitive user data sources as a compensating control until the update can be applied.
macOS Tahoe 26.0
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup method
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Navigate to General > Software Update
- Wait for macOS Tahoe 26.0 to appear in the update list
- Click 'Update Now' or 'Upgrade Now' to download and install macOS Tahoe 26.0
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation
- Restart the Mac when prompted
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-43451 — 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-2025-43451 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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- 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