CVE-2025-43273
CRITICALCVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Lifecycle Timeline
2Description
A permissions issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.8. A sandboxed process may be able to circumvent sandbox restrictions.
Analysis
Sandbox escape in macOS Sequoia 15.x and Sonoma 14.x allows sandboxed processes to bypass security restrictions and access high-value confidential data or modify system integrity without authentication. Patched in macOS Sequoia 15.6 and macOS Sonoma 14.8. EPSS exploitation probability is low (0.05%, 16th percentile), and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, though the CVSS 9.1 rating reflects the severe theoretical impact of compromised sandbox isolation-a critical security boundary in macOS architecture.
Technical Context
This vulnerability affects the macOS sandbox framework, which implements mandatory access control to restrict application capabilities and isolate processes from system resources. The sandbox operates as a kernel-level enforcement mechanism that limits file system access, network operations, and inter-process communication based on defined security profiles. The root cause falls under CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure), indicating the sandbox's permission model contained weaknesses that allowed restricted operations to succeed despite policy constraints. Apple's sandbox relies on TrustedBSD MAC framework extensions and SBPL (Sandbox Profile Language) rules to enforce application-specific restrictions. This permissions issue allowed processes to perform actions outside their designated security profiles, undermining the defense-in-depth posture where sandbox serves as a containment layer even when application-level vulnerabilities exist. The CPE identifier indicates all macOS deployments prior to the specified fix versions were vulnerable, spanning both consumer and enterprise environments running Sequoia or Sonoma release families.
Affected Products
The vulnerability affects Apple macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.6 and macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.8, as identified by CPE 2.3:o:apple:macos. Both consumer and enterprise deployments running these operating system families are vulnerable. Apple's security advisories HT214149 and HT125112 provide version-specific guidance, confirming the issue spans multiple major macOS release trains maintained under Apple's standard support lifecycle. Organizations running macOS Ventura or earlier versions should consult Apple's security bulletin to determine if those releases received equivalent patches through their respective update channels.
Remediation
Apply vendor-released patches immediately: upgrade macOS Sequoia systems to version 15.6 or later, and macOS Sonoma systems to version 14.8 or later. Updates are distributed through System Preferences > Software Update or via Apple Software Update Service for enterprise environments using Mobile Device Management solutions. Apple's security advisories are available at https://support.apple.com/en-us/124149 and https://support.apple.com/en-us/125112 with detailed update instructions and build identifiers. For enterprise deployments requiring staged rollout, prioritize systems processing untrusted content through sandboxed applications such as web browsers, email clients, and document viewers. No effective workarounds exist for sandbox architecture vulnerabilities-patching is the only remediation path. Verify successful update installation by checking system version in About This Mac and confirming build numbers match Apple's security bulletin specifications.
Priority Score
Share
External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today