CVE-2025-46303 Overview
CVE-2025-46303 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Apple's HID (Human Interface Device) handling across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. A malicious HID device can trigger an out-of-bounds condition, causing an unexpected process crash. Apple addressed the issue with improved bounds checks. The flaw maps to [CWE-119] (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) and requires adjacent network access combined with user interaction to exploit.
Critical Impact
A malicious HID device in proximity to a target system can cause an unexpected process crash, resulting in a denial-of-service condition across Apple's operating system family.
Affected Products
- Apple iOS and iPadOS prior to 18.7.5 and prior to 26.2
- Apple macOS Sequoia prior to 15.7.4, macOS Sonoma prior to 14.8.4, and macOS Tahoe prior to 26.2
- Apple tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS prior to 26.2
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-02-11 - CVE-2025-46303 published to NVD
- 2026-04-02 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-46303
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in Apple's HID subsystem, which processes input from devices such as keyboards, mice, game controllers, and other peripherals. The affected code paths fail to adequately validate buffer boundaries when handling input descriptors or report data supplied by a malicious HID device. Attackers can craft HID reports that exceed expected sizes or contain malformed descriptors, leading to memory access violations. Apple's fix introduces stricter bounds checks in the HID handling routines to reject malformed input before unsafe memory operations occur.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer [CWE-119] in the HID device handling logic. The driver or service parsing HID descriptors and reports did not enforce sufficient size validation, allowing a crafted device to push the parser into an out-of-bounds condition that crashes the receiving process.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an attacker to present a malicious HID device to the target. This can occur via Bluetooth pairing, USB-C peripheral connection, or other HID-capable transport classified as adjacent network in the CVSS metric. User interaction is required, since the victim must connect or accept the device. Successful exploitation produces an unexpected process crash, impacting availability. Confidentiality and integrity are not directly affected by this issue.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the Apple Security Advisory #125884 and Apple Security Advisory #126347 for vendor-supplied technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46303
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected and repeated crashes of HID-related processes (for example, IOHIDFamily or related user-space services) recorded in macOS unified logs or iOS crash reports.
- Newly paired or connected Bluetooth and USB HID peripherals that immediately precede process crashes.
- Crash signatures indicating out-of-bounds memory access in HID parsing code paths.
Detection Strategies
- Collect and review system crash logs (.ips and .crash files) for repeated faults in HID-handling components.
- Monitor MDM telemetry for Apple endpoints reporting OS versions below the patched releases listed in the vendor advisories.
- Correlate Bluetooth pairing events with subsequent kernel or daemon crash reports to identify suspicious peripherals.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Centralize macOS and iOS crash diagnostics into a SIEM or data lake for cross-fleet pattern analysis.
- Track Apple OS build versions across managed devices to confirm patch deployment compliance.
- Alert on devices that record multiple HID-subsystem crashes within short time windows, especially in shared or public environments.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46303
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Apple devices to iOS 18.7.5, iPadOS 18.7.5, iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, or watchOS 26.2.
- Inventory all Apple endpoints through MDM and prioritize patching for devices used in public or shared spaces where rogue HID devices are more plausible.
- Educate users to avoid connecting unknown USB, USB-C, or Bluetooth peripherals.
Patch Information
Apple released fixes documented in the vendor advisories. Refer to Apple Security Advisory #125884, Apple Security Advisory #125886, Apple Security Advisory #125889, Apple Security Advisory #125890, Apple Security Advisory #125891, Apple Security Advisory #126347, Apple Security Advisory #126349, and Apple Security Advisory #126350 for the complete list of affected builds and fixed versions.
Workarounds
- Disable Bluetooth on affected devices when not required, particularly in untrusted environments.
- Restrict USB and USB-C peripheral connectivity through MDM configuration profiles where supported.
- Avoid pairing or connecting unverified HID peripherals until devices receive the vendor patch.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
