CVE-2025-43466: 
macOS vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-43466 is an injection vulnerability in Apple's AppleMobileFileIntegrity component on macOS that allows a local app to access sensitive user data. It affects macOS Tahoe versions prior to 26.1 and was fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.1, released November 3, 2025. The CVE was publicly disclosed on December 12, 2025. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (Medium), assessed by CISA-ADP (Apple Advisory).

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-95 (Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code / Eval Injection) and was addressed with improved input validation in the AppleMobileFileIntegrity framework (Apple Advisory). The attack vector is local, requiring low privileges and no user interaction, meaning a malicious app running on the system could exploit this flaw without elevated rights. The Feedly intelligence data notes the original Apple description referenced improved validation of symlinks, suggesting the injection may involve improper handling of symbolic links or path-related directives within the integrity-checking subsystem. The vulnerability was discovered and reported by security researcher Mickey Jin (@patch1t) (Apple Advisory).

Successful exploitation allows a malicious local application to bypass AppleMobileFileIntegrity protections and access sensitive user data that would otherwise be protected. The impact is limited to confidentiality — there is no integrity or availability impact — but the exposure of protected user data could include personal files, credentials, or other privacy-sensitive information managed by the macOS integrity framework. The scope is confined to the local system, with no evidence of lateral movement potential (Apple Advisory).

Apple has released a patch in macOS Tahoe 26.1 (released November 3, 2025), which addresses this vulnerability through improved input validation in the AppleMobileFileIntegrity component. Users and administrators should update to macOS Tahoe 26.1 or later as the primary remediation. No configuration-based workarounds have been published by Apple. Organizations should also review installed third-party applications for suspicious behavior as a precautionary measure (Apple Advisory).

The vulnerability was noted in the SANS Internet Storm Center diary covering the macOS Tahoe 26.1 security release, which addressed a large number of CVEs across multiple components. The CIS Security advisory also referenced the broader macOS Tahoe 26.1 update in the context of multiple vulnerabilities that could allow for arbitrary code execution or data access. No significant individual researcher commentary or social media discussion specific to CVE-2025-43466 has been identified beyond standard vulnerability tracking (Apple Advisory).