A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling.
Affects Apple iOS and iPadOS before 18.7.2 and 26.1, and macOS, tvOS, visionOS and watchOS before their fixed releases. Fixed in iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1.
- Published
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Listed in CISA KEV
- How many real-world setups can hit the bug, from the vendor's advisory and CISA data. It does not know your setup.What do these mean? →
- Actively exploited
- Fix
- Fixed in 18.7.2, 26.1, 14.8.2, 15.7.2
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
Summary
A malicious app could exploit a memory corruption flaw in Apple's iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS to crash the system or write to kernel memory. The impact could range from unexpected system shutdowns to a deeper compromise of the operating system's core.
Summarized by anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5. Verify details against the original sources.
Read the original description
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2, iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1. A malicious application may be able to cause unexpected system termination or write kernel memory.
Timeline
- CVE published
- Added to CISA KEV
CISA has evidence of exploitation in the wild
- CISA remediation deadline
Due date for US federal agencies to patch
- Record last updated
Affected versions
- Apple iOS and iPadOS
fixed in 18.7.2; fixed in 26.1
- Apple macOS
fixed in 14.8.2; fixed in 15.7.2; fixed in 26.1
- Apple tvOS
fixed in 26.1
- Apple visionOS
fixed in 26.1
- Apple watchOS
fixed in 26.1
References 8
Questions about CVE-2025-43520
What does this mean?
A memory corruption issue in Apple's operating systems. A malicious application may be able to cause unexpected system termination or write kernel memory.Source: support.apple.com
Am I affected, and how do I check?
Apple iOS and iPadOS before 18.7.2 and 26.1, macOS before 14.8.2, 15.7.2 and 26.1, and tvOS, visionOS and watchOS before 26.1 are listed as affected. Check the operating system version shown in the device's software version or About settings and compare it with these fixed versions.Source: support.apple.com
What should I do about it?
Update to the fixed release for each affected Apple platform: iOS and iPadOS 26.1 (or 18.7.2 on the older line), macOS 14.8.2, 15.7.2 or 26.1, and tvOS, visionOS and watchOS 26.1.Source: support.apple.com
Is it being exploited?
Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-03-20, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.Source: cisa.gov, cve.now feed data