Root privilege escalation via kernel permissions flaw
Published Aug 29, 2025 · Updated Apr 2, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Kernel in Apple macOS Sequoia before 15.6 allows local users to gain root privileges via a malicious app. The Kernel applies insufficient permission restrictions, but Apple has not published the affected resource or exact incorrect operation. Exploitation requires execution of a malicious app with low local privileges and results in root-level control of the system.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in the Kernel in Apple macOS Sequoia before 15.6 allows local users to gain root privileges via a malicious app. The Kernel applies insufficient permission restrictions, but Apple has not published the affected resource or exact incorrect operation. Exploitation requires execution of a malicious app with low local privileges and results in root-level control of the system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-43268
- Published
- Aug 29, 2025
- Updated
- Apr 2, 2026
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- macOS
- Classifications
- CWE-732, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 29, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 2, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <15.6
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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