Detect Apple Multiple Products Improper Locking Vulnerability (CVE-2025-43510) in Splunk
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
SPL Detection Query
index=mac_edr OR index=apple_mdm OR index=endpoint sourcetype IN ("jamf:pro", "crowdstrike:events:sensor", "sentinelone:activity", "carbon_black:edr")
| where match(os_version, "(?i)(mac|ios|ipados|tvos|watchos|visionos)")
| eval risk_score=0
| eval risk_score=if(match(event_type, "(?i)(kernel_panic|kernel_crash|process_crash)") AND match(process_name, "(?i)(kernel_task|launchd|springboard|backboardd)"), risk_score+75, risk_score)
| eval risk_score=if(match(event_type, "(?i)(privilege_escalation|setuid|seteuid)") AND NOT match(user, "(?i)(root|_daemon|_system)"), risk_score+85, risk_score)
| eval risk_score=if(match(event_type, "(?i)(process_inject|code_inject|dylib_inject)"), risk_score+90, risk_score)
| eval risk_score=if(match(cmdline, "(?i)(pthread_mutex|dispatch_semaphore|os_lock|OSSpinLock)"), risk_score+60, risk_score)
| where risk_score >= 60
| stats count, max(risk_score) as max_risk, values(event_type) as event_types, values(cmdline) as commands, dc(host) as host_count by host, user, process_name, _time
| sort - max_risk
| table _time, host, user, process_name, event_types, commands, max_risk, countDetects Apple device exploitation indicators for CVE-2025-43510 including kernel panics, unauthorized privilege escalation, process injection, and locking API abuse patterns across macOS, iOS, and other Apple platforms.
Data Sources
Required Sourcetypes
False Positives & Tuning
- macOS software updates involving kernel extensions may generate crash events
- Virtualization software (Parallels, VMware Fusion) may trigger locking anomalies
- Legitimate developer builds using threading primitives may match locking patterns
- Enterprise MDM tools performing enrollment or profile pushes may briefly escalate privileges
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
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