CVE-2025-43424
MEDIUMCVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
2Tags
Description
The issue was addressed with improved bounds checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.1, iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1. A malicious HID device may cause an unexpected process crash.
Analysis
Buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-119) in Apple's HID (Human Interface Device) subsystem affecting macOS Tahoe, iOS, and iPadOS that allows a malicious or compromised HID device to trigger an unexpected process crash, resulting in denial of service. The vulnerability requires adjacent network access and no user interaction, but does not compromise confidentiality or integrity. Apple has patched this issue in version 26.1 across affected platforms.
Technical Context
This vulnerability exists in Apple's HID driver/subsystem, which handles input from human interface devices (keyboards, mice, USB devices, Bluetooth peripherals, etc.). The root cause is improper bounds checking (CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) in HID packet processing logic. When a malicious HID device sends specially crafted input packets that exceed expected buffer boundaries, the kernel or user-space HID daemon processes these packets without adequate validation, leading to out-of-bounds memory access. The affected CPE strings indicate this impacts: (1) Apple iPadOS (all versions prior to 26.1), (2) Apple iPhone OS/iOS (all versions prior to 26.1), and by extension macOS Tahoe (version < 26.1). The vulnerability is triggered at the HID protocol handling layer, likely during device enumeration or input event processing.
Affected Products
- product: Apple macOS Tahoe; affected_versions: < 26.1; fixed_version: 26.1; advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/125632 - product: Apple iOS (iPhone OS); affected_versions: < 26.1; fixed_version: 26.1; advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/125632 - product: Apple iPadOS; affected_versions: < 26.1; fixed_version: 26.1; advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/125634
Remediation
Immediate patch installation is recommended: (1) Update macOS to Tahoe 26.1 or later, (2) Update iOS to 26.1 or later, (3) Update iPadOS to 26.1 or later. Patches are available via Apple's Software Update mechanism. For organizations unable to patch immediately: (1) Restrict physical access to USB ports and avoid untrusted HID devices, (2) Disable Bluetooth and external input device connections when not needed, (3) Monitor for unexpected process crashes related to IOKit or HID daemons (kernel_task, corehid). Detailed patch information available at https://support.apple.com/en-us/125632 (macOS/iOS) and https://support.apple.com/en-us/125634 (iPadOS). No workarounds exist beyond restricting device access.
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External POC / Exploit Code
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