External risk intelligence

Apple Operating Systems Memory Corruption Vulnerability

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2025-43520

A memory corruption vulnerability in Apple operating systems could allow a malicious application to cause system instability or alter kernel memory, impacting affected organizations and their data.

1Halo Surface Signal

Buffer Overflow

Apple Ipados

before 18.7.226.014.0 to before 14.8.215.0 to before 15.7.2before 26.1

External exposure likelihood

Halo Surface Signal score for CVE-2025-43520

The vulnerability requires a malicious application to be present and executing on the local system to trigger the memory corruption, meaning it is not reachable via the public internet.

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A memory corruption issue has been identified in Apple's operating systems. This flaw could allow a malicious application to disrupt system operations or alter critical memory. The vulnerability affects various Apple devices, impacting their stability and data integrity.

  • Vulnerable operating systems
  • Memory handling flaw
  • System instability and data corruption

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

A memory corruption vulnerability exists in certain Apple operating systems. This issue can be exploited by a malicious application to potentially cause unexpected system termination or write to kernel memory. Attackers can leverage this by triggering the vulnerability through a malicious application.

  • Required exposure: Local user interaction with malicious app.
  • Attacker starting point: Malicious application already on device.
  • Trigger and result: App causes system termination or memory write.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

The identified memory corruption vulnerability could allow a malicious application to cause system instability or unauthorized memory writes. This issue affects various Apple operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Organizations should prioritize applying the relevant security updates to mitigate this risk.

  • Likely attacker skill level: Low
  • Required access or conditions: Local access required
  • Business risk or urgency: Medium

Priority actions

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

A memory corruption vulnerability impacting Apple's operating systems has been identified, potentially allowing malicious applications to cause unexpected system termination or overwrite critical kernel memory. This issue is associated with local attack vectors, meaning an attacker would need to execute malicious code directly on the affected system. The severity is rated as medium, with potential impacts including system instability and data integrity risks.

  • Identify affected systems and devices.
  • Isolate or restrict exposure.
  • Apply vendor fixes and verify.
  • Monitor for related activity.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Apple operating systems affected by CVE-2025-43520?

CVE-2025-43520 affects various Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. These systems are used for a wide range of consumer and professional devices, from iPhones and iPads to Macs and Apple Watches.

What kind of weakness is CVE-2025-43520, and how does it affect the system?

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-120, a classic buffer overflow. It means that a malicious application could send more data than expected to a program, potentially overwriting adjacent memory. This could lead to unexpected system termination or unauthorized writing of data into the system's kernel memory.

How could an attacker exploit this vulnerability, and what are the preconditions?

Exploiting this vulnerability requires a malicious application to be present and executing on the affected device. The attacker's precondition is to trick the user into running this malicious application. If the user does not run the malicious application, the vulnerability cannot be triggered.

How relevant is CVE-2025-43520 to my organization?

This vulnerability is classified as internal, meaning it requires local access to the system to be exploited. It is not directly reachable over the internet. Therefore, the primary concern would be for devices within your organization that could potentially have malicious applications installed or run.

What is the first step to respond to this threat on my Apple devices?

The first step is to identify all affected Apple systems and devices within your environment. Following that, apply the security updates provided by Apple for the specific operating systems that are vulnerable, as detailed in the provided references.

References