CVE-2025-43380: 
macOS vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-43380 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the sips (Scriptable Image Processing System) component of macOS that can cause unexpected application termination when parsing a maliciously crafted file. It affects macOS Sonoma versions 14.0 through 14.8.1 and macOS Sequoia versions 15.0 through 15.7.1. The vulnerability was disclosed on November 3, 2025, and was discovered by Nikolai Skliarenko of Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (Medium), reflecting a local attack vector with no user interaction required beyond low-privilege access (Apple Sonoma Advisory, Apple Sequoia Advisory).

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) and resides in the sips file parsing component of macOS. Insufficient input validation during file parsing allows a local, low-privileged attacker to trigger a write operation beyond the bounds of an allocated memory buffer. Exploitation requires the attacker to supply or cause the parsing of a specially crafted file, after which the out-of-bounds write corrupts memory and leads to an unexpected application termination (denial of service). Apple addressed the issue with improved input validation in the patched releases (Apple Sonoma Advisory, Apple Sequoia Advisory).

Successful exploitation results in an unexpected application termination, constituting a denial-of-service impact against the affected macOS system or application. There is no known confidentiality or integrity impact — the CVSS assessment reflects high availability impact only, with no data exposure or unauthorized modification. The scope is limited to the local system, and there is no evidence of lateral movement potential associated with this vulnerability (Apple Sonoma Advisory, Apple Sequoia Advisory).

There is no public proof-of-concept exploit code available, and no evidence of in-the-wild exploitation has been reported. The EPSS score is approximately 0.021%, indicating a very low probability of exploitation in the near term. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No threat actor attribution has been identified in connection with this CVE (Feedly).

Apple has released patches addressing this vulnerability in macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.1, all released on November 3, 2025. Users should update their macOS installations to these versions or later via System Settings > Software Update. As a supplementary measure, organizations should restrict the parsing of files from untrusted or unknown sources and apply application whitelisting where feasible (Apple Sonoma Advisory, Apple Sequoia Advisory, Apple Tahoe Advisory).

The vulnerability was reported through Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative by researcher Nikolai Skliarenko, reflecting standard coordinated disclosure practices. No notable independent researcher commentary, social media discussion, or significant media coverage specific to this CVE has been identified, consistent with its medium severity and limited exploitation potential (Apple Sequoia Advisory).