CVE-2025-46315: macOS Tahoe Permissions Flaw Enables Unauthorized Data Access

Technical summary

CVE-2025-46315 is a CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) vulnerability in macOS Tahoe. The flaw permits unauthorized access to protected user data through insufficient permission validation. The vulnerability is reachable over a network without requiring user interaction or authentication, and successful exploitation results in confidentiality compromise. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.5 (HIGH) reflects the network-exploitable nature and high-impact data exposure risk, with no integrity or availability impact.

Business impact

A successful exploit could enable unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user information—such as personal files, credentials, or private communications—without user knowledge or consent. For organizations deploying macOS Tahoe, this creates a data exfiltration risk that may trigger regulatory notification obligations under GDPR, CCPA, or equivalent frameworks. Third-party applications could weaponize this flaw to harvest user data at scale, damaging customer trust and brand reputation.

Affected systems

Apple macOS Tahoe versions prior to 26.1 are affected. Any system running an unpatched version is vulnerable. Organizations should inventory macOS Tahoe deployments and prioritize patching, particularly on endpoints handling sensitive or regulated data.

Exploitability

The vulnerability requires no user interaction, authentication, or special privileges—an attacker can trigger it remotely over the network. However, the vulnerability is not currently listed on the KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities) catalog, indicating no confirmed active exploitation in the wild at the time of publication. This does not preclude future exploitation; the network-exploitable profile and data exfiltration potential make it an attractive target for motivated threat actors.

Remediation

Apply macOS Tahoe 26.1 or later, which includes enhanced permission validation to prevent unauthorized data access. Organizations should plan patching as a high-priority task. Test updates in a controlled environment before broad rollout to ensure compatibility with line-of-business applications and security tools.

Patch guidance

Update to macOS Tahoe 26.1 or any subsequent version. Verify compatibility with organizational applications and security software before deployment. Stagger rollout across endpoints to maintain operational continuity. Monitor for any post-patch incidents or side effects. Confirm patch installation through system update logs or Mobile Device Management (MDM) console reporting.

Detection guidance

Monitor for unusual file access patterns or data exfiltration attempts that coincide with suspicious application behavior. Log and alert on unexpected inter-process communication or privileged data access by third-party applications. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools configured to flag excessive read operations on protected user directories. Review application permission logs if macOS audit subsystem is enabled. Look for network traffic anomalies (large outbound data transfers) that may indicate successful data theft.

Why prioritize this

Network exploitability combined with high-impact data exfiltration and lack of user interaction requirements warrant immediate attention. The absence of KEV listing provides a brief window to patch before active exploitation becomes widespread. Organizations handling regulated data or running sensitive workloads on macOS should prioritize this patch within their standard update cycle.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.5 (HIGH) reflects a network-accessible vulnerability requiring no authentication or user interaction (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), resulting in high confidentiality impact to protected user data. The absence of integrity and availability impact moderates the score below CRITICAL, but the ease of exploitation and real-world harm potential justify urgent remediation.

Frequently asked questions