Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Impact | Without a CVSS vector and score, numeric severity cannot be directly assessed; however, several signals indicate meaningful real-world risk. The memory corruption nature and buffer overflow classification suggest potential for denial of service (memory crash) or code execution if heap or stack memory is corrupted. The attack vector is file-processing-based, implying local or user-interaction-triggered exploitation rather than network-based remote attack, which moderates the ease of exploitation. The fact that Apple prioritized this for patching across three major operating systems and assigned a distinct CVE indicates Apple's assessment of functional impact. The affected version ranges (all iOS <18.6, all iPadOS <18.6, macOS Sequoia <15.6) span widely deployed populations, increasing aggregate risk despite lower per-device exploitability. No public exploit code or active exploitation (KEV) status is indicated, limiting immediate threat, but the simplicity of triggering via file processing and the memory corruption primitive mean exploitation difficulty is moderate if proof-of-concept emerges. This is a priority for patching but not an emergency requiring emergency out-of-band releases. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local attacker or social engineer distributes a specially crafted file (document, image, or other format) to a target user. When the file is opened or automatically processed by a system application or user application on an unpatched device, the malformed file triggers the memory corruption vulnerability during parsing. This corrupts memory in the application or kernel process handling the file, causing either an application crash (denial of service) or, if the attacker can reliably control the corrupted memory region, potential code execution with the privileges of the process handling the file. No public proof-of-concept code has been identified, but the simplicity of weaponizing file-processing vulnerabilities means exploit development is feasible once patch analysis is available. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Apr 02, 2026
Memory corruption vulnerability in Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS allows local attackers to achieve denial of service or potentially arbitrary code execution through malicious file processing. The vulnerability affects iOS and iPadOS versions below 18.6 and macOS Sequoia below 15.6, and has been patched in iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, and macOS Sequoia 15.6. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and CVSS severity is not numerically specified by Apple, though the buffer overflow classification and file processing attack vector indicate moderate to high real-world risk for users who encounter malicious content.
RemediationAI
Update immediately to iOS 18.6 or later, iPadOS 18.6 or later, or macOS Sequoia 15.6 or later. Vendor-released patches are available: Apple iOS 18.6, Apple iPadOS 18.6, and Apple macOS Sequoia 15.6 contain the fix. Users should navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on iOS/iPadOS devices or System Settings > General > Software Update on macOS to obtain and install the patched versions. For organizations managing multiple devices, MDM solutions can enforce automatic updates. Until patching is completed, users should avoid opening files of unknown or untrusted origin, particularly document, media, and archive formats that trigger file processing. Detailed update instructions and verification guidance are available at https://support.apple.com/en-us/124147 (iOS/iPadOS) and https://support.apple.com/en-us/124149 (macOS).
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 2 packages in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
This vulnerability is a buffer overflow or memory corruption flaw (as indicated by the buffer overflow tag and memory handling focus) triggered during file processing operations across Apple's core operating systems. The vulnerability exists in shared code or libraries used across iOS/iPadOS and macOS platforms, affecting CPE designations for both product lines. The root cause involves improper bounds checking or memory management during file parsing or handling, allowing attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The file processing attack vector suggests the vulnerability may be triggered through document formats, media files, or other file types handled by system frameworks, making it reachable by local code execution or through user interaction with untrusted content.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Primary rating from Vendor (apple) · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorVendor: apple
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
This issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, macOS Sequoia 15.6. Processing a file may lead to memory corruption.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2025-43202 is a local memory corruption vulnerability affecting Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS that could enable denial of service or arbitrary code execution through malicious file processing. Organizations with BYOD policies or managed Apple device fleets running unpatched versions face operational disruption and potential data compromise if users encounter or are targeted with malicious files. Immediate patching is critical to prevent attackers from leveraging local access to compromise device integrity.
Apply vendor patch: iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, and macOS Sequoia 15.6. Interim mitigations if patching is delayed: restrict local file access permissions, disable file-sharing features, enforce user education on avoiding untrusted file sources, and isolate affected devices from sensitive networks. Monitor system logs for abnormal process execution or file access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
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EUVD-2025-209192
GHSA-37mp-2f5m-44h4
NVD
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