CVE-2025-43529: Apple Multiple Products exploited

Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.

What it is

A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in Safari 26.2, iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3, iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26. CVE-2025-14174 was also issued in response to this report.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by apple, published 2025-12-17).

Weakness: CWE-416 Use After Free

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity needing no privileges and a user must take an action. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: no. Technical impact: total.

On CISA KEV since: 2025-12-15
US federal deadline: 2026-01-05
Ransomware use: Not known

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: BDU:2026-00005, EUVD-2025-203963, EUVD-2026-6189, GHSA-j5x8-2r52-c3ff, GHSA-m9mp-fmfc-g6gc, SNYK-ORACLE8-WEBKIT2GTK3DEVEL-14541395, SNYK-UNMANAGED-WEBKITGTK-14468762, SNYK-UNMANAGED-WPEWEBKIT-14468763

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:COVERTHIPPO

Exploit Observer links 4 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.

Exploit code and modules (4)

Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.

Code repository: https://github.com/genericcoding/cve-2025-43529-arbitrary-ref
Code repository: https://github.com/jir4vv1t/cve-2025-43529
Code repository: https://github.com/simoesctt/convergent-time-theory-enhanced-ios-safari-rce-cve-2025-43529-
Code repository: https://github.com/zeroxjf/cve-2025-43529-analysis

Research and write-ups (1)

Research or write-up: https://hackingpassion.com/ios-webkit-zero-day-iphone-compromise-cve-2025-43529

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (12)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2025-43529
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/enisa/EUVD-2025-203963
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/enisa/EUVD-2026-6189
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-j5x8-2r52-c3ff
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m9mp-fmfc-g6gc
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-43529
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-ORACLE8-WEBKIT2GTK3DEVEL-14541395
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-UNMANAGED-WEBKITGTK-14468762
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-UNMANAGED-WPEWEBKIT-14468763
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-43529
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-43529
Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-43529

64 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.

VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.

Live scores

EPSS: 0.257
likely to be attacked soon
VEDAS: 0.973
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV: Yes, since 2025-12-15
Detection rule: None yet

EPSS (chance of attack)

VEDAS (exploit evidence)

Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.

Who is affected

Product	Affected	Not affected
Apple Safari	before 26.2	Not stated
Apple iOS and iPadOS	before 18.7.3 before 26.2	Not stated
Apple macOS	before 26.2	Not stated
Apple tvOS	before 26.2	Not stated
Apple visionOS	before 26.2	Not stated
Apple watchOS	before 26.2	Not stated

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

Exploit Observer also maps it to: apple ipados, apple iphone_os, apple macos, apple safari, apple tvos, apple visionos, apple watchos.

How to fix it

Fixed versions stated in the CVE record: 26.2, 18.7.3.

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Vendor guidance:

How to detect it

There is no open VEDAS detection rule for this bug yet. It is listed on the detection gaps page if CISA has confirmed attacks.

Advisories on this CVE

Apple 2026 zero-days (February 2026)
Apple 2025 zero-days (21 Aug 2025)

References

Government sources

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-43529 (government-resource)

Other references

Other databases

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.

CVE-2025-43529: Apple Multiple Products Use-After-Free WebKit Vulnerability