CVE-2025-31229VulnerabilityPublished 29 Jul 2025Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2025-31229: Apple iOS and iPadOS · Passcode may be read aloud by VoiceOver

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.1 Critical · fixed in 18.6 : patch Apple iOS and iPadOS as a priority.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

9.1Critical

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

EPSS: 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 56% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 18.6

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
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: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
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: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 29 Jul 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 2026-10-25.

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-2025-31229, organizations and users should immediately update all affected Apple devices to iOS and iPadOS version 18.6 or later, where the vulnerability has been fixed. If you cannot patch yet, consider disabling the VoiceOver feature if it is not essential, especially in environments where sensitive information protection is critical. For users who require VoiceOver, implement physical security controls to prevent unauthorized individuals from being in proximity to the device during passcode entry. Educate users about the risk of passcode exposure through accessibility features and encourage the use of biometric authentication methods (Face ID, Touch ID) where possible to reduce reliance on passcodes. Organizations should audit device configurations to ensure compliance with updated security policies and monitor for unusual access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, consider deploying mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce timely updates and restrict accessibility feature usage in high-risk contexts. Regularly review Apple security advisories for any further updates or related vulnerabilities. Finally, incorporate this vulnerability into incident response plans to quickly address any exploitation attempts.

Description

A logic issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6. Passcode may be read aloud by VoiceOver.

Impact

The impact of CVE-2025-31229 is severe for organizations and individuals using Apple iOS and iPadOS devices with VoiceOver enabled. The vulnerability exposes device passcodes audibly, compromising the confidentiality of authentication credentials. This can lead to unauthorized device access, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks if the compromised device is used for work purposes. The availability impact arises if attackers exploit this flaw to lock out legitimate users or disrupt device functionality. Given the widespread use of Apple devices globally, especially in enterprise environments, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to data security and privacy. The fact that no privileges or user interaction are required for exploitation increases the threat level, making it easier for attackers to target victims remotely or in close proximity. Organizations with employees who rely on accessibility features are particularly vulnerable. The exposure of passcodes can undermine multi-factor authentication setups if the passcode is a critical factor. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted espionage or surveillance campaigns against high-value individuals or organizations. Failure to patch promptly could result in increased risk of compromise, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage.

CWE-261Weak Encoding for Password (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A04:2025: Cryptographic Failures (opens in a new tab)
Obscuring a password with a trivial encoding does not protect the password.
Passwords should be encrypted with keys that are at least 128 bits in length for adequate security.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Transport Layer Protection (opens in a new tab)
User Privacy Protection (opens in a new tab)
Password Storage (opens in a new tab)
Cryptographic Storage (opens in a new tab)
HSTS (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.8.5 (opens in a new tab)
V2.8.4 (opens in a new tab)
V9.2.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Rainbow Table Password Cracking (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, 01:24 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-261

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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