Detect Apple Multiple Products Improper Locking Vulnerability (CVE-2025-43510) in IBM QRadar
CVE-2025-43510 is an improper locking vulnerability (CWE-667) affecting multiple Apple products, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. This flaw, added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, allows an attacker with local access to potentially exploit race conditions arising from improper mutex or lock management, leading to privilege escalation, memory corruption, or kernel-level code execution. Detection focuses on anomalous kernel panics, unexpected privilege escalations, exploitation of race conditions, and post-exploitation indicators on Apple endpoints.
MITRE ATT&CK
QRadar Detection Query
SELECT
DATEFORMAT(devicetime, 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') AS event_time,
sourceip,
username,
QIDNAME(qid) AS event_name,
"Process Name",
"Command Line",
"Process ID",
magnitude
FROM events
WHERE
(devicetype = 73 OR LOGSOURCENAME(logsourceid) ILIKE '%apple%' OR LOGSOURCENAME(logsourceid) ILIKE '%jamf%' OR LOGSOURCENAME(logsourceid) ILIKE '%mac%')
AND (
("Event Category" ILIKE '%privilege%' AND username NOT IN ('root', '_daemon', '_system', '_windowserver'))
OR ("Event Category" ILIKE '%kernel%panic%')
OR ("Command Line" ILIKE '%pthread_mutex%' OR "Command Line" ILIKE '%dispatch_semaphore%' OR "Command Line" ILIKE '%os_unfair_lock%')
OR ("Process Name" IN ('bash','zsh','sh','python3','osascript') AND "Effective User ID" = '0' AND username != 'root')
)
AND LOGSOURCETIME(devicetime) > NOW() - 7 DAYS
ORDER BY magnitude DESC, devicetime DESC
LIMIT 500QRadar AQL query targeting Apple device log sources for CVE-2025-43510 indicators: kernel panics, unauthorized privilege escalation to root, and shell commands invoking locking APIs.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Legitimate administrative tasks using sudo or su may generate false positives
- Apple silicon Macs running Rosetta 2 translations may generate unusual process chains
- Third-party kernel extensions legitimately using locking primitives may match
- CI/CD agents running on macOS build hosts may exhibit rapid process escalation
Other platforms for CVE-2025-43510
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1Simulate Race Condition Privilege Escalation via pthread_mutex (macOS)
Expected signal: EDR process creation event for gcc compiling /tmp/race_test.c, followed by execution of /tmp/race_test. System call `id` execution from child process. No kernel-level events expected in this benign simulation.
- Test 2LaunchDaemon Persistence Installation Post-Exploitation Simulation (macOS)
Expected signal: File creation event for /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.test.cve202543510.plist (CrowdStrike CriticalFileAccessed or equivalent), launchctl process execution events, bash child process spawning from launchd after load.
- Test 3Kernel Locking Stress Test via dispatch_semaphore Abuse (macOS)
Expected signal: Swift compiler process event (swiftc or swift), followed by execution of the compiled binary. Process command line should contain references to lock_abuse.swift. DispatchSemaphore usage may appear in dynamic analysis but not typically in static command-line telemetry.
- Test 4Non-Root to Root Privilege Escalation Simulation via SUID Binary (macOS)
Expected signal: gcc compilation event in /tmp, chmod 4755 file permission change event (CrowdStrike FileAttributeChange), SUID binary execution showing effective UID 0, whoami and id child process executions returning 'root'.
References (9)
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125632
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125633
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125634
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125635
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125636
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125637
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125638
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/125639
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-43510
Unlock Pro Content
Get the full detection package for CVE-2025-43510 including response playbook, investigation guide, and atomic red team tests.