CVE-2025-43224

7.1

Apple · iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS

An out-of-bounds access vulnerability exists in multiple Apple operating systems, where processing a malicious media file can cause application termination or memory corruption.

Executive summary

An out-of-bounds memory access vulnerability in Apple media processing components poses a significant risk of process corruption or unexpected application termination.

Vulnerability

This is an out-of-bounds access issue caused by insufficient bounds checking during the processing of media files. The vulnerability can be triggered when a user processes a maliciously crafted file, requiring user interaction to execute.

Business impact

The vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 7.1, indicating a high severity level. Successful exploitation could lead to local denial of service or potential memory corruption, which may be leveraged to disrupt business operations or compromise system stability.

Remediation

Immediate Action: Update all affected Apple devices to the following versions: iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, macOS Sequoia 15.6, tvOS 18.6, and visionOS 2.6.

Proactive Monitoring: Review system and application logs for repeated crashes of media-handling processes or unexpected application terminations that may indicate exploitation attempts.

Compensating Controls: Ensure that users exercise caution when opening media files from untrusted or unknown sources to limit the likelihood of processing malicious content.

Exploitation status

Public Exploit Available: Unknown

Analyst recommendation

Given the potential for process corruption and the severity of the flaw, administrators should prioritize the deployment of the provided Apple security updates. Applying these patches is the most effective way to remediate the underlying memory safety issues and restore system integrity.

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Sources