CVE-2025-43503 Overview
CVE-2025-43503 is a user interface spoofing vulnerability affecting Apple Safari and multiple Apple operating systems. The flaw stems from inconsistent state management in the browser's user interface, allowing a malicious website to display misleading UI elements to visitors. Apple addressed the issue with improved state management in Safari 26.1, iOS 18.7.2, iPadOS 18.7.2, iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and watchOS 26.1. The vulnerability maps to [CWE-290] (Authentication Bypass by Spoofing) and requires user interaction to exploit. An attacker must convince a victim to visit an attacker-controlled site to trigger the spoofing condition.
Critical Impact
Visiting a malicious website may lead to user interface spoofing, enabling phishing and social engineering attacks against Apple device users.
Affected Products
- Apple Safari (prior to 26.1)
- Apple iOS and iPadOS (prior to 18.7.2 and 26.1)
- Apple macOS Tahoe (prior to 26.1), visionOS (prior to 26.1), watchOS (prior to 26.1)
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-04 - CVE-2025-43503 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-43503
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-43503 is classified as a User Interface Confusion vulnerability rooted in inconsistent state handling within Safari's rendering and navigation logic. When a user visits a crafted page, the browser can display UI elements that do not accurately reflect the underlying page origin or security state. This mismatch allows an attacker to present fraudulent content that appears to originate from a trusted source. The vulnerability requires user interaction, since the victim must actively navigate to the malicious page. Impact is limited to integrity of displayed information, with no direct exposure of confidentiality or availability.
Root Cause
The issue arises from inconsistent UI state management inside Safari's WebKit-based browser stack. When multiple UI states transition during navigation or content loading, the browser fails to synchronize the visible chrome, address bar, or security indicators with the actual document state. Apple's advisory confirms the fix addresses this by improving state management, ensuring UI components remain consistent with the loaded resource.
Attack Vector
An attacker hosts a malicious website and lures a victim into visiting it through phishing links, malvertising, or compromised third-party content. Once loaded, the site manipulates browser transitions or overlays to create a spoofed interface. The victim may then be deceived into trusting content or entering credentials into what appears to be a legitimate origin. See the Apple Support Document #125638 for vendor-provided details.
No public proof-of-concept exploit is available, and this CVE is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The vulnerability has an EPSS probability of 0.38%.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-43503
Indicators of Compromise
- Suspicious inbound links to Apple device users, particularly via SMS, email, or messaging apps pointing to unfamiliar domains.
- Web traffic to newly registered or typosquatted domains impersonating banking, cloud, or Apple ID login portals.
- User reports of address bar content that does not match the visited site.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Safari user-agent traffic in web proxy logs for connections to known phishing infrastructure.
- Correlate browser telemetry with credential submission events to detect anomalous authentication attempts following visits to unverified domains.
- Deploy phishing-focused URL analysis on inbound email and messaging channels to identify spoofing lures.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track Safari and Apple OS build versions across the fleet to identify unpatched devices vulnerable to CVE-2025-43503.
- Alert on user reports of unexpected browser UI behavior or unfamiliar login prompts.
- Ingest DNS and HTTP telemetry into a SIEM to hunt for indicators of spoofing infrastructure.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-43503
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Safari to version 26.1 on macOS systems and confirm the update completes across all managed endpoints.
- Upgrade iPhone and iPad devices to iOS 18.7.2, iPadOS 18.7.2, or iOS/iPadOS 26.1 as applicable.
- Apply macOS Tahoe 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and watchOS 26.1 updates on remaining Apple hardware.
- Educate users on verifying URLs before entering credentials, especially on links received from untrusted sources.
Patch Information
Apple released fixes across its product line on 2025-11-04. Refer to the following advisories for build details: Apple Support Document #125632, Apple Support Document #125633, Apple Support Document #125634, Apple Support Document #125638, Apple Support Document #125639, and Apple Support Document #125640.
Workarounds
- Restrict use of Safari on unpatched devices until the vendor update is applied, favoring alternative browsers with current security patches where feasible.
- Enforce mobile device management (MDM) policies that require the minimum patched OS build before allowing access to corporate resources.
- Enable phishing and malicious site protection features at the network gateway to reduce exposure to spoofing lures.
# Verify patched Safari version on macOS
mdls -name kMDItemVersion /Applications/Safari.app
# Query iOS/iPadOS build via MDM (example: Jamf)
# Ensure devices report build >= iOS 18.7.2 or iOS 26.1
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
