CVE-2025-43521
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 15.7.3, macOS Tahoe 26.2. 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 code-signing bypass vulnerability in macOS affecting Intel-based Mac computers. A downgrade issue allowed an app to bypass code-signing restrictions, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive user data. The fix adds additional code-signing restrictions to prevent this downgrade attack vector.
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< 15.7.3CVSS 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.
-
Check macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal and compare the result to 15.7.3Affected if Version is less than 15.7.3 (e.g., 15.7.2, 15.7.1, 15.6, 14.x, etc.)
-
Confirm Intel-based Mac architectureRun 'sysctl -n hw.optional.x86_64' in Terminal - a return value of 1 indicates an Intel-based MacAffected if The system returns 1 (Intel-based Mac); this vulnerability specifically affects Intel-based Macs, not Apple Silicon
-
Verify code-signing enforcement statusRun 'spctl --status' to check if Gatekeeper is enabledAffected if Code-signing enforcement is disabled or in a permissive state (e.g., 'assessments disabled')
-
Check for unsigned or suspiciously signed applicationsRun 'codesign -dv /path/to/application.app' on key applications to inspect their signature status, or use 'spctl --audit' to list all executed applicationsAffected if Applications exist with missing, invalid, or downgrade-signed code signatures
A system is affected if it is running macOS versions prior to 15.7.3 on an Intel-based Mac with permissive or disabled code-signing enforcement.
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 · scoped15.7.3
Apply macOS updates: Sequoia 15.7.3 or later, or Tahoe 26.2 or later. For systems that cannot update, implement application whitelisting and restrict execution of untrusted code.
macOS Sequoia 15.7.3 or later (for Intel-based Macs)
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine before performing any system update
- Ensure your Intel-based Mac is connected to a power source
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
- Navigate to General > Software Update
- Check for available updates and install macOS Sequoia 15.7.3 or later
- Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation
- Verify the update was successful by checking System Settings > General > About > macOS Version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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 $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-43521 — 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-2025-43521 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