What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-43524?

CVE-2025-43524 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.0%.

Which versions of Apple macOS are affected by CVE-2025-43524?

A sandbox escape vulnerability in Apple macOS (Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe) could permit third-party applications to circumvent security isolation and gain unauthorized access to system resources and…. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2025-43524?

Within 24 hours, audit your device inventory to identify all macOS devices running Sonoma versions before 14.8.7, Sequoia versions before 15.7.7, or Tahoe versions before 26.2. Within 7 days, deploy and apply the vendor-released patches (Sonoma 14.8.7, Sequoia 15.7.7, and Tahoe 26.2) across all affected systems using your mobile device management or centralized patch management system, prioritizing user-facing devices. Within 30 days, complete a full verification sweep to confirm all previously affected devices have installed the patches successfully.

Apple macOS CVE-2025-43524

EUVD-2025-209797 HIGH

Improper Access Control (CWE-284)

2026-05-12 product-security@apple.com

GHSA-pgh4-8789-8jgp

Authentication Bypass Apple

8.8

CVSS 3.1 · NVD

Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY

8.8 HIGH

AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

vuln.today AI

8.8 HIGH

Local attacker already running a sandboxed app (AV:L, PR:L) escapes confinement, crossing a security boundary (S:C) to gain full access to protected resources (C:H/I:H/A:H).

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

Primary rating from NVD.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Lifecycle Timeline

Analysis Generated

Jul 23, 2026 - 23:20 vuln.today

CVSS changed

May 12, 2026 - 21:22 NVD

8.8 (HIGH)

Patch available

May 12, 2026 - 19:02 EUVD

CVE Published

May 12, 2026 - 18:16 nvd

UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

CVE Published

May 12, 2026 - 18:16 nvd

HIGH 8.8

DescriptionCVE.org

An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, macOS Tahoe 26.2. An app may be able to break out of its sandbox.

AnalysisAI

Sandbox escape in Apple macOS (Sonoma before 14.8.7, Sequoia before 15.7.7, Tahoe before 26.2) allows a sandboxed application to break out of the App Sandbox and gain broader access to the system, achieving a scope change with total confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Apple addressed the underlying access-control weakness with additional sandbox restrictions. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the EPSS exploitation probability is very low (0.01%).

Technical ContextAI

The affected component is Apple's App Sandbox, the mandatory access control (MAC) layer built on the Seatbelt/sandbox framework that confines applications to a restricted set of file, IPC, and system resource operations. The root cause is classified as CWE-284 (Improper Access Control): the sandbox profile did not sufficiently restrict a resource or operation, allowing a confined app to reach capabilities outside its intended container. Apple's fix tightened the sandbox rules ("additional sandbox restrictions") rather than patching a memory-safety bug. The CPE data identifies the operating system itself (cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos) as the affected product across the Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe release lines.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: update to macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, or macOS Tahoe 26.2, whichever matches the deployed release line, via Software Update or MDM-managed deployment; see Apple's advisory at https://support.apple.com/en-us/125886. Because the flaw resides in the OS sandbox layer there is no meaningful in-product workaround, so patching is the only reliable fix. As interim compensating controls until the update is deployed, restrict installation of untrusted third-party applications, enforce Gatekeeper and notarization requirements, and limit local user privileges so that an attacker is less likely to land the sandboxed foothold needed to attempt the escape - these reduce likelihood but do not remove the underlying weakness.