CVE-2025-46288 Overview
CVE-2025-46288 is a permissions issue affecting multiple Apple operating systems. The flaw allows a locally installed application to access sensitive payment tokens that should be restricted. Apple addressed the issue by adding additional access restrictions across its platforms.
The vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-284: Improper Access Control] and requires local, low-privileged access to exploit. No user interaction is required, and successful exploitation results in unauthorized disclosure of payment-related data without impacting integrity or availability.
Critical Impact
An installed application may bypass permission checks to read sensitive payment tokens, exposing financial credentials that could enable fraud or downstream account compromise.
Affected Products
- Apple iOS and iPadOS prior to 26.2
- Apple macOS Tahoe prior to 26.2
- Apple visionOS prior to 26.2 and watchOS prior to 26.2
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-12-17 - CVE-2025-46288 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-46288
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-46288 is an improper access control weakness in Apple's payment token handling components. Applications running on affected devices could reach interfaces or data paths that expose payment tokens without satisfying the intended entitlement or permission checks.
Payment tokens represent tokenized card credentials used by Apple Pay and related services. Exposure of these tokens outside their protected boundary undermines the isolation model Apple uses to separate application data from wallet and payment infrastructure.
Apple's advisories state the fix was implemented by adding additional restrictions. This indicates the previous permission model did not adequately gate the sensitive resource against callers with local, low-privileged access.
Root Cause
The root cause is insufficient permission enforcement on an interface that returns or references payment token material. Apple's remediation added extra restrictions, consistent with a missing or incomplete authorization check on a client-accessible surface. The weakness maps to [CWE-284] (Improper Access Control).
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction. A malicious or compromised application installed on the device would invoke the affected interface to obtain payment token data. Because the attack vector is local, remote exploitation over the network is not applicable.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available for CVE-2025-46288. Refer to the Apple Support advisories for the authoritative technical description.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46288
Indicators of Compromise
- No public indicators of compromise have been published for CVE-2025-46288, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
- Unexplained access attempts to Wallet, PassKit, or payment-related system services by third-party applications may warrant review.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory Apple devices and identify systems running iOS, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, visionOS, or watchOS below version 26.2.
- Review Mobile Device Management (MDM) compliance reports for OS version drift and enforce baseline versions that include the fix.
- Monitor installed applications for entitlements or API usage related to Wallet and payment services on managed fleets.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track application installation and update events on managed Apple endpoints through MDM telemetry.
- Alert on devices that remain unpatched beyond a defined remediation window after 26.2 availability.
- Correlate financial fraud reports involving cardholders using Apple Pay with device patch status where feasible.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46288
Immediate Actions Required
- Update affected devices to iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, macOS Tahoe 26.2, visionOS 26.2, or watchOS 26.2.
- Enforce minimum OS versions through MDM policy and block noncompliant devices from accessing sensitive corporate resources.
- Restrict installation of unvetted third-party applications, particularly on devices provisioned with corporate Apple Pay credentials.
Patch Information
Apple released fixes in the 26.2 update train. See the vendor advisories: Apple Support Article #125884, Apple Support Article #125886, Apple Support Article #125890, and Apple Support Article #125891.
Workarounds
- No vendor-supplied workaround is documented. Apply the 26.2 updates as the primary remediation.
- Limit sideloaded or enterprise-signed applications on devices that store payment credentials until patching is complete.
- Review application permissions and remove apps that are not required for business operations.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
