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TI-2025-40479 Aliases CVE-2025-65842GHSA-5pfh-rw2m-9j53

The Aquarius HelperTool (1.0.003) privileged XPC service on macOS contains multiple flaws…

Priority MEDIUM 58CWE-266Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Privilege escalation
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
Low · Low · None
Fix status
No fix listed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-266.

Summary

The Aquarius HelperTool (1.0.003) privileged XPC service on macOS contains multiple flaws that allow local privilege escalation. The service accepts XPC connections from any local process without validating the client's identity, and its authorization logic incorrectly calls AuthorizationCopyRights with a NULL reference, causing all authorization checks to succeed. The executeCommand:authorization:withReply: method then interpolates attacker-controlled input into NSTask and executes it with root privileges. A local attacker can exploit these weaknesses to run arbitrary commands as root, create persistent backdoors, or obtain a fully interactive root shell.

Why it matters now

Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00179 7th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
Poc
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
——all versions—No fix listedCNA
  • — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:acustica-audio:aquarius_helpertool:1.0.003:*:*:*:*:*:*:*1.0.003VulnerableAcustica-audio
  • cpe:2.3:a:acustica-audio:aquarius_helpertool:1.0.003:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.0.003 Vulnerable ·Acustica-audio

Remediation

No fixed version listed by the sources yet.

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-65842
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5pfh-rw2m-9j53

References

Sources