CVE-2025-43379: 
macOS vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-43379 is a symlink validation vulnerability in Apple's AppleMobileFileIntegrity component that allows a low-privileged local application to access protected user data through improper link resolution before file access. It was disclosed on November 3, 2025, as part of Apple's coordinated security update release. The vulnerability affects iOS and iPadOS (before 26.1), macOS Sonoma (before 14.8.2), macOS Sequoia (before 15.7.2), macOS Tahoe (before 26.1), tvOS (before 26.1), visionOS (before 26.1), and watchOS (before 26.1). It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (Medium), assigned by CISA-ADP (Apple Advisory iOS/iPadOS, Apple Advisory macOS Sonoma).

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access, or 'Link Following'), residing in the AppleMobileFileIntegrity subsystem responsible for enforcing code-signing and file integrity policies across Apple platforms (Apple Advisory iOS/iPadOS, Apple Advisory macOS Sequoia). An attacker-controlled application can craft a malicious symbolic link that, when followed by the vulnerable component without adequate validation, redirects file access operations to protected user data outside the app's permitted scope. Exploitation requires only low privileges and no user interaction, making it a local privilege-escalation-style data access issue. The vulnerability was discovered and reported by Gergely Kalman (@gergely_kalman) (Apple Advisory iOS/iPadOS). No public proof-of-concept code has been identified.

Successful exploitation allows a low-privileged app to read protected user data that it would not normally be permitted to access, resulting in a high confidentiality impact with no integrity or availability impact. The affected AppleMobileFileIntegrity component is present across the full Apple ecosystem — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS — meaning the exposure is broad. Sensitive data such as credentials, personal files, or application data protected by Apple's sandbox and TCC (Transparency, Consent, and Control) mechanisms could be exposed without any user interaction (Apple Advisory iOS/iPadOS, Apple Advisory macOS Sonoma).

There is no evidence of active in-the-wild exploitation or a publicly available proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2025-43379 (Feedly). The vulnerability is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. The EPSS score is approximately 0.024% (0.000240), indicating a very low probability of exploitation in the near term. Exploitation requires local access and low privileges, limiting the attack surface compared to remote or unauthenticated vulnerabilities.

Apple has released patches addressing this vulnerability across all affected platforms. Users should update to the following versions or later: iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and watchOS 26.1 (Apple Advisory iOS/iPadOS, Apple Advisory macOS Sonoma, Apple Advisory macOS Sequoia). No configuration-based workaround is available; updating to a patched OS version is the only remediation. As a defense-in-depth measure, organizations should limit application privileges, enforce strict app sandboxing policies, and audit local application permissions.

The vulnerability was covered as part of broader reporting on Apple's November 2025 security update cycle, which addressed over 50 vulnerabilities across iOS, macOS, and other platforms. Security news outlets including GBHackers, The Cyber Express, and CyberPress reported on the update batch, noting the scope of fixes. The SANS Internet Storm Center also published a diary entry covering the Apple November 2025 updates (SANS ISC). No specific high-profile researcher commentary or significant social media discussion focused exclusively on CVE-2025-43379 was identified.