CVE-2025-46285
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 · uneditedAn integer overflow was addressed by adopting 64-bit timestamps. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3, iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.8.3, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2. An app may be able to gain root privileges.
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 · high confidenceAn integer overflow vulnerability in timestamp handling (32-bit timestamp overflow) in multiple Apple operating systems allows a malicious application to potentially gain root privileges. The vulnerability was addressed by implementing 64-bit timestamps.
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< 14.8.3>= 15.0, < 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
- 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.
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Check installed macOS versionOpen Terminal and run: `sw_vers -productVersion`Affected if The version returned is less than 14.8.3, or is 15.0 through 15.7.2 (including point releases within that range)
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Confirm macOS release nameRun `sw_vers -productVersionExtra` or check System Settings > About to see if the system is macOS Sonoma (14.x) or macOS Sequoia (15.x)Affected if The system runs macOS Sonoma below 14.8.3 or macOS Sequoia between 15.0 and 15.7.2
You are affected if your macOS version is any build lower than 14.8.3 (Sonoma) or any build from 15.0 up to but not including 15.7.3 (Sequoia), as these versions still use 32-bit timestamps that can overflow to grant root privileges to malicious applications.
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 · scoped14.8.315.7.3
Apply the available Apple security updates (iOS 18.7.3/26.2, iPadOS 18.7.3/26.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.8.3, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2) to all affected devices.
macOS Sonoma 14.8.3 or macOS Sequoia 15.7.3
- Check the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac
- Identify whether you are running macOS Sonoma (14.x) or macOS Sequoia (15.x)
- For macOS Sonoma (14.x) users: Upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.8.3 or later via System Settings > Software Update
- For macOS Sequoia (15.x) users: Upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.7.3 or later via System Settings > Software Update
- After updating, verify the security update was applied by checking About This Mac > More Info > System Report > Software > Installed Software
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
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-46285 — 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-2025-46285 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
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