Overview
CVE-2025-11921 is a security vulnerability affecting iStats, a popular system monitoring application for macOS. Specifically, versions 7.10.4 and earlier are susceptible to a local privilege escalation (LPE) attack. The vulnerability stems from an insecure XPC service within iStats that allows unprivileged users to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. This can lead to complete system compromise.
Technical Details
The vulnerability lies within the XPC service used by iStats. This service, intended for inter-process communication, is improperly configured, allowing local users to send malicious commands. An attacker can craft specific requests that exploit this flaw, injecting arbitrary commands that are then executed with root privileges due to the service’s permissions. This is a classic command injection vulnerability.
CVSS Analysis
Based on the information available, no CVSS score has been officially assigned to CVE-2025-11921. However, given the potential for complete system compromise via local privilege escalation, a high CVSS score is expected. We anticipate a score in the range of 7.0 – 10.0, depending on exploitability and attack vector complexity. A complete CVSS assessment would require further analysis, but the local attack vector and potential for root-level access point towards a significant risk.
Severity: N/A
CVSS Score: N/A
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-11921 allows a local, unprivileged attacker to gain complete control of the affected macOS system. This includes the ability to:
- Install malware
- Access sensitive data
- Modify system configurations
- Create new administrator accounts
- Monitor user activity
In short, an attacker can effectively become root on the system.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The primary mitigation is to update iStats to the latest version (7.10.6 or later). The developers at Bjango have addressed this vulnerability in subsequent releases. Follow these steps to update:
- Visit the official iStats website: Bjango iStats Website
- Download the latest version of iStats.
- Install the new version, replacing the vulnerable one.
- Restart your system for the changes to take effect.
You can also download the latest version directly from: iStats 7.10.6 Download
References
Bjango iStats Website
iStats 7.10.6 Download
Fluid Attacks Advisory
