Overview
CVE-2025-43374 is a security vulnerability affecting several Apple operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, and watchOS. This vulnerability is classified as an out-of-bounds read within the kernel memory, potentially allowing an attacker in physical proximity to access sensitive data. Apple has released security updates to address this issue by implementing improved bounds checking.
Technical Details
The core issue lies in insufficient bounds checking during certain memory operations within the kernel. An attacker with physical access to a vulnerable device could potentially craft inputs or trigger specific actions that cause the system to read beyond the allocated memory boundaries. This out-of-bounds read could expose sensitive kernel data, potentially facilitating further exploitation.
The vulnerability was fixed by improved bounds checking during memory operations.
CVSS Analysis
While the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score is currently listed as N/A, the potential impact of an out-of-bounds read in kernel memory should not be underestimated. Successful exploitation requires physical proximity to the device, which limits the attack surface. However, it’s likely that successful exploitation can lead to information disclosure and potentially pave the way for privilege escalation, depending on the nature of the data exposed.
A complete CVSS analysis will likely be published by NIST in the future.
Possible Impact
A successful exploit of CVE-2025-43374 could lead to:
- Information Disclosure: An attacker could potentially read sensitive data residing in kernel memory, such as cryptographic keys, user credentials, or other confidential information.
- Potential Privilege Escalation: While not explicitly stated, leaking kernel information could assist an attacker in bypassing security measures and achieving elevated privileges on the system.
- System Instability: Triggering the out-of-bounds read might cause unexpected behavior or even a kernel panic, leading to a denial-of-service condition.
It is important to note that the attacker requires physical proximity to the device.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The primary mitigation for CVE-2025-43374 is to update your Apple devices to the following versions or later:
- iPadOS 17.7.7
- iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5
- visionOS 2.5
- macOS Sonoma 14.7.3
- macOS Ventura 13.7.3
- macOS Sequoia 15.5
- watchOS 11.5
To update your device, navigate to the Software Update section in your device’s settings. It is highly recommended to apply these updates as soon as possible to protect your device from potential exploitation.
References
- About the security content of iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 – Apple Support
- About the security content of iPadOS 17.7.7 – Apple Support
- About the security content of macOS Sequoia 15.5 – Apple Support
- About the security content of visionOS 2.5 – Apple Support
- About the security content of macOS Sonoma 14.7.3 – Apple Support
- About the security content of macOS Ventura 13.7.3 – Apple Support
- About the security content of watchOS 11.5 – Apple Support
