Inkscape macOS TCC bypass fixed in 1.4.3

22 January 2026 medium vulnerability

A vulnerability in Inkscape for macOS allows local attackers to abuse bundled Python interpreter to access privacy-protected folders using the app's TCC permissions without user prompts.

CERT Polska coordinated disclosure of CVE-2025-15523, a vulnerability in the macOS version of Inkscape that allows privilege escalation through Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) permission abuse. The flaw exists because Inkscape bundles a Python interpreter that inherits TCC permissions granted to the main application. An attacker with local user access can invoke this interpreter with arbitrary commands or scripts, leveraging Inkscape's previously granted permissions to access files in privacy-protected folders without triggering additional user prompts.

When accessing resources beyond already-granted TCC permissions, the attacker's actions appear under Inkscape's name in user prompts, potentially masking malicious intent. The vulnerability was reported by Karol Mazurek and Hubert Decyusz from AFINE Team through CERT Polska's coordinated vulnerability disclosure process.

The issue has been patched in Inkscape version 1.4.3. Organizations and users running Inkscape on macOS should update to this version to mitigate the risk of local privilege escalation attacks.

Mentioned in this report

Vulnerabilities CVE-2025-15523

Detection guidance

Inkscape Bundled Python Interpreter Executing Arbitrary Script or Command

ATT&CK T1059.006

Detects Inkscape's bundled Python interpreter being invoked with a command-line script or -c argument outside of the normal extensions directory, consistent with abuse of inherited TCC permissions (CVE-2025-15523). Auto-generated starting point — validate and tune in your environment before deploying. IOC matches can false-positive on shared infrastructure and decay as adversary infrastructure rotates.

title: Inkscape Bundled Python Interpreter Executing Arbitrary Script
id: 480f820b-502f-5c7b-8d07-322aa417afc1
status: experimental
description: Detects execution of the Python interpreter bundled inside Inkscape.app
  with arguments indicating arbitrary command or script execution outside the normal
  extensions directory. This pattern is consistent with abuse of Inkscape's inherited
  TCC permissions to run attacker-controlled code (CVE-2025-15523).
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: macos
detection:
  selection:
    Image|contains: /Inkscape.app/Contents/
    Image|endswith:
    - /python3
    - /python
  suspicious_args:
    CommandLine|contains:
    - ' -c '
    - -c "
  filter_extension:
    CommandLine|contains: /Contents/Resources/share/inkscape/extensions/
  condition: selection and suspicious_args and not filter_extension
falsepositives:
- Legitimate Inkscape extensions or plugins that internally invoke -c for small helper
  scripts
- Developer testing of Inkscape Python extensions from a debug build
level: high
tags:
- attack.t1059.006
- attack.t1548.002
author: Vorant

Inkscape Bundled Python Interpreter Running Script Outside Extensions Directory

ATT&CK T1548.002

Detects the Python interpreter shipped inside Inkscape.app being launched to execute a script file located outside the application's own extensions folder, indicating potential abuse of inherited TCC entitlements for privilege escalation. Auto-generated starting point — validate and tune in your environment before deploying. IOC matches can false-positive on shared infrastructure and decay as adversary infrastructure rotates.

title: Inkscape Bundled Python Interpreter Running External Script
id: c973d652-f847-5570-b9ba-ac6ca31fb2b9
status: experimental
description: Detects the Python interpreter bundled with Inkscape.app being used to
  run a .py script located outside the application's bundled extensions directory.
  Because this interpreter inherits Inkscape's TCC-granted access to privacy-protected
  folders, this behaviour can indicate exploitation of CVE-2025-15523 for local privilege
  escalation or unauthorized file access.
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: macos
detection:
  selection:
    ParentImage|contains: /Inkscape.app/Contents/
    Image|endswith:
    - /python3
    - /python
    CommandLine|endswith: .py
  filter_extension:
    CommandLine|contains: /Contents/Resources/share/inkscape/extensions/
  condition: selection and not filter_extension
falsepositives:
- Custom Inkscape extension scripts stored in a non-standard user extensions path
- Developer debugging of Inkscape Python bindings
level: medium
tags:
- attack.t1548.002
- attack.t1059.006
author: Vorant

Behavioural rules are generated from public reporting — validate in your environment before deploying.

Source reporting: https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/01/CVE-2025-15523

This is the public brief

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