CVE-2025-43372: Apple iPadOS DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-43372 Overview

CVE-2025-43372 is a high-severity input validation vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. The vulnerability exists in the media file processing components and can be triggered when a user opens a maliciously crafted media file. Successful exploitation may lead to unexpected application termination or corrupt process memory, potentially enabling further attacks.

Critical Impact

Processing maliciously crafted media files can corrupt process memory or cause application crashes across Apple's entire ecosystem of devices, potentially leading to code execution or information disclosure.

Affected Products

• Apple iOS (prior to iOS 26)
• Apple iPadOS (prior to iPadOS 26)
• Apple macOS (prior to macOS Tahoe 26 and macOS Sonoma 14.8.2)
• Apple tvOS (prior to tvOS 26)
• Apple visionOS (prior to visionOS 26)
• Apple watchOS (prior to watchOS 26)

Discovery Timeline

• September 15, 2025 - CVE-2025-43372 published to NVD
• April 2, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-43372

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper input validation (CWE-20) in Apple's media file processing routines. When a specially crafted media file is processed by an affected device, the lack of proper input validation allows malformed data to bypass security checks. This can result in memory corruption within the process handling the media file, or cause the application to terminate unexpectedly.

The local attack vector requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must open or process the malicious media file. This could occur through various scenarios such as opening a media attachment in email, viewing a media file in a messaging application, or accessing content through a web browser. Once the malicious file is processed, the attacker can potentially achieve high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-43372 is insufficient input validation in the media file parsing routines within Apple's operating systems. Media files contain complex metadata structures and encoded content that require thorough validation before processing. When this validation is inadequate, malformed or unexpected data within a crafted media file can cause the parser to behave in unintended ways, leading to memory corruption or process termination.

Apple addressed this vulnerability through improved input validation, ensuring that media file components are properly sanitized and validated before being processed by the system.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access and user interaction. An attacker must convince the target user to open a maliciously crafted media file. Attack scenarios include:

• Distributing malicious media files via email attachments
• Hosting malicious content on websites that users may visit
• Sending crafted media through messaging platforms such as iMessage or third-party apps
• Including malicious media in documents or other container formats

When the user interacts with the malicious media file, the vulnerable parsing code processes the crafted input, potentially corrupting process memory. This memory corruption could serve as a primitive for further exploitation, potentially leading to code execution or information disclosure.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43372

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected application crashes when opening media files, particularly in Photos, QuickTime, Safari, or messaging applications
• Unusual process behavior or memory access patterns in media-handling processes
• Core dumps or crash logs indicating memory corruption in media parsing components
• Suspicious media files with unusual or malformed headers present on the system

Detection Strategies

• Monitor crash reports on endpoints for repeated crashes in media processing components with memory corruption signatures
• Implement endpoint detection rules to identify abnormal behavior in media handling processes
• Deploy file inspection capabilities to analyze media files for malformed or suspicious structures before user interaction
• Utilize behavioral analysis to detect process anomalies during media file processing operations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable crash reporting and centralized collection of crash logs across managed Apple devices
• Monitor for unusual file access patterns, particularly media files from untrusted sources
• Track process memory exceptions and terminations in real-time through endpoint detection and response solutions
• Review application logs for errors related to media file parsing and decoding failures

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43372

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all Apple devices to the latest operating system versions: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26
• Advise users to avoid opening media files from untrusted or unknown sources until patches are applied
• Enable automatic software updates on all managed Apple devices to ensure timely patch deployment
• Review and restrict media file handling permissions for applications where feasible

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates that address this vulnerability through improved input validation. The following versions include the fix:

• iOS 26 and iPadOS 26
• macOS Tahoe 26
• macOS Sonoma 14.8.2
• tvOS 26
• visionOS 26
• watchOS 26

For detailed information, refer to the official Apple security advisories:

• Apple Security Advisory #125108
• Apple Security Advisory #125114
• Apple Security Advisory #125115
• Apple Security Advisory #125116

Workarounds

• Implement email and web gateway filtering to scan and quarantine suspicious media file attachments
• Restrict auto-play and auto-preview functionality for media files in email clients and messaging applications
• Use managed device profiles to limit media file handling to trusted applications only
• Educate users about the risks of opening media files from untrusted sources and establish clear security policies