CVE-2025-31210 is a denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability in Apple iPadOS related to the processing of web content. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of certain web content that can cause the system UI to become unresponsive or crash, leading to a DoS condition. This issue is categorized under CWE-400, which involves uncontrolled resource consumption. The vulnerability can be triggered remotely by an attacker who crafts malicious web content and convinces a user to interact with it, such as visiting a malicious website or opening a malicious link. No privileges are required to exploit this vulnerability, but user interaction is necessary, making social engineering a likely attack vector. The impact is limited to availability, with no direct compromise of confidentiality or integrity. Apple addressed this vulnerability by improving the UI processing mechanisms in iPadOS 17.7.7, iOS 18.5, and iPadOS 18.5. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, reflecting medium severity, with attack vector network (remote), low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and impact limited to availability. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time, but the potential for disruption exists, especially in environments where iPads are used for critical operations or customer-facing services.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-31210 is the potential disruption of services due to denial-of-service conditions on iPad devices. This could affect sectors such as healthcare, finance, government, and retail where iPads are used for point-of-sale, patient management, or mobile workforce tasks. A successful exploit could cause device crashes or UI freezes, leading to loss of productivity, delayed operations, and potential reputational damage if customer-facing services are interrupted. While the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact could hinder business continuity. Organizations relying on iPadOS devices for critical workflows may experience operational delays and increased support costs. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the ease of exploitation and widespread use of Apple devices in Europe necessitate proactive mitigation.

European organizations should prioritize updating all iPadOS and iOS devices to versions 17.7.7, 18.5, or later where the vulnerability is patched. Implement mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce timely OS updates and restrict installation of untrusted applications or web content. Educate users about the risks of interacting with unknown or suspicious web links to reduce the likelihood of social engineering exploitation. Employ network-level filtering to block access to known malicious websites and use web content filtering to limit exposure to potentially harmful content. Monitor device performance and logs for signs of UI crashes or abnormal behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. For high-security environments, consider restricting the use of iPadOS devices for critical operations until patches are applied. Regularly review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving denial-of-service on mobile devices.