CVE-2025-30438VulnerabilityPublished 31 Mar 2025Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2025-30438: Apple iOS and iPadOS · A malicious app may be able to dismiss the system notification on the Lock Screen that a recording was

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 18.4 : update Apple iOS and iPadOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 21% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 18.4

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: High
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 31 Mar 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apple iOS and iPadOS	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2025-30438, organizations and users should promptly update all affected Apple devices to the patched OS versions: iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, tvOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4, and watchOS 11.4. Beyond patching, restrict installation of apps to trusted sources only, such as the official Apple App Store, to reduce risk of malicious apps exploiting this flaw. Employ Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to enforce app whitelisting and monitor device compliance. Educate users about the importance of system notifications and encourage vigilance for unexpected behavior. Consider deploying endpoint detection tools that can monitor for suspicious recording activity or unauthorized notification suppression. Regularly audit device security settings and app permissions to minimize exposure. For high-security environments, consider additional controls such as disabling recording features where feasible or using hardware-based privacy protections.

Description

This issue was addressed with improved access restrictions. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, tvOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4, watchOS 11.4. A malicious app may be able to dismiss the system notification on the Lock Screen that a recording was started.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2025-30438 is the potential for covert surveillance and privacy violations. By dismissing the recording notification, malicious apps can record audio or screen activity without alerting the user, leading to unauthorized data capture including sensitive conversations, credentials, or confidential information displayed on the screen. This undermines user trust in system privacy indicators and can facilitate espionage, corporate data theft, or personal privacy invasions. Organizations relying on Apple devices for secure communications and data handling may face increased risk of insider threats or targeted attacks using compromised devices. The vulnerability does not affect system availability or confidentiality directly but severely impacts notification integrity and user awareness, which are critical for informed consent and security hygiene. The scope includes all users running affected Apple OS versions prior to patching, especially those in sensitive roles or industries.

Summary

CVE-2025-30438 is a vulnerability identified in Apple’s ecosystem, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS variants, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS, where a malicious application can suppress the system-generated notification that appears on the Lock Screen when a recording (audio or screen) is initiated. This notification is a critical privacy feature designed to alert users that their device is actively recording. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access control (CWE-284) allowing unauthorized dismissal of this notification. Exploitation requires local access and user interaction but no elevated privileges, making it feasible for malicious apps distributed through sideloading or potentially even the App Store if bypassed. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium), reflecting limited attack vector (local), low complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. The impact is primarily on the integrity of privacy notifications, enabling covert recording without user awareness, which can lead to privacy breaches and unauthorized data capture. Apple fixed this issue by enhancing access restrictions in the affected OS versions released in early 2025. No public exploits have been observed, but the vulnerability poses a significant privacy risk if exploited.

CWE-284Improper Access Control (opens in a new tab)
Pillar weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #19OWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
MITRE discourages mapping vulnerabilities to this broad entry; the root cause is usually a more specific weakness.
Architecture and Design · Operation
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Docker Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
Virtual Patching (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)
V1.4.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.10.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Embedding Scripts within Scripts (opens in a new tab)
Modification of Windows Service Configuration (opens in a new tab)
Malicious Root Certificate (opens in a new tab)
Intent Spoof (opens in a new tab)
WebView Exposure (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 01:07 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-284

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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