CVE-2025-46313: macOS Tahoe Logging Data Redaction Flaw

Technical summary

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-532 (Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File), indicating that system logging mechanisms failed to properly sanitize sensitive data before writing to logs. When applications or processes write to system logs without adequate redaction, locally-running malware or a compromised application can parse those logs to extract credentials, tokens, personal identifiers, or other confidential information. The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 (MEDIUM) reflects the local attack surface (AV:L), the straightforward exploitation path (AC:L), absence of privilege requirements (PR:N), user interaction dependency (UI:R), and the confidentiality impact (C:H) while denying the ability to modify data or disrupt availability.

Business impact

This defect poses a data leakage risk for macOS Tahoe users. If a user unknowingly runs a malicious or compromised application, that app could extract sensitive information from system logs—potentially including authentication tokens, API keys, session identifiers, or personally identifiable information. Organizations managing macOS fleets should assess whether sensitive operations are logged and how this could affect compliance frameworks (HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS) that require data minimization and secure log handling.

Affected systems

CVE-2025-46313 affects macOS Tahoe releases prior to version 26.1. All macOS Tahoe users running versions before 26.1 are potentially exposed if they execute untrusted applications or if existing applications are compromised.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires local code execution on the macOS system and user interaction to run or install the malicious application. The attack does not require elevated privileges, making it accessible to standard user-level malware. However, the attacker must already have some mechanism to execute code on the target system, limiting the attack to scenarios involving app installation, drive-by downloads, or supply-chain compromises. The exposure is not remotely exploitable and does not affect systems where users maintain strict application installation controls.

Remediation

Apple has addressed this vulnerability in macOS Tahoe 26.1 through improved data redaction in logging subsystems. Users should update to macOS Tahoe 26.1 or later. Organizations should treat this as a standard security patch deployment in their macOS update cadence. No workarounds are available for unpatched systems beyond restricting untrusted application execution.

Patch guidance

Prioritize deployment of macOS Tahoe 26.1 to all macOS Tahoe systems in your environment. Organizations using mobile device management (MDM) or Apple Device Enrollment should leverage these tools to automate and enforce the update across fleets. Verify patch application through system information panels or MDM reporting. Test the update in a small cohort first if your environment includes mission-critical applications dependent on specific macOS versions.

Detection guidance

Monitor for CVE-2025-46313 exploitation by auditing application access to system log files. Check for unusual process behavior spawning log-reading utilities (such as log, syslog, or direct file access to /var/log or similar locations) from non-standard applications. EDR solutions with behavioral analytics can flag applications attempting to parse system logs for sensitive information. Verify macOS version compliance through inventory management tools to ensure all Tahoe systems are at version 26.1 or later.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits standard priority in macOS patch cycles due to its MEDIUM severity rating and the requirement for local code execution. However, organizations with strict application approval controls and users with limited admin privileges can safely defer patching beyond critical timelines. The data leakage risk depends on what sensitive information your organization logs; if logs contain authentication tokens or PII, this vulnerability should be treated as higher priority.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 reflects a MEDIUM severity vulnerability because: (1) Attack Vector is Local, limiting exposure to systems where an attacker can already execute code; (2) no elevation of privilege is required, lowering the barrier but not eliminating the local execution prerequisite; (3) User Interaction is required, meaning the victim must take an action such as running an app; (4) Confidentiality impact is High, since sensitive log data can be read; and (5) there is no impact on system integrity or availability. This profile—moderate likelihood of exploitation combined with high impact on data confidentiality—places the vulnerability squarely in the MEDIUM band.

Frequently asked questions