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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2025-43220: Apple iPadOS · Link Following

Affects Apple iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical · fixed in 17.7.9 : patch Apple iPadOS as a priority.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
9.8Critical
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 57% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 17.7.9
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 29 Jul 2025

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Apple iPadOSAffected
  • =0
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2025-43220, organizations and users should immediately apply the security updates released by Apple: iPadOS 17.7.9, macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, and macOS Ventura 13.7.7. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application vetting policies to limit installation of untrusted or unnecessary apps, reducing the attack surface. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring unusual file system activities, especially related to symlink creation and access patterns. Regularly audit file permissions and access controls to detect anomalies. Network segmentation can help contain potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, educating users about the risks of installing unverified applications and enforcing least privilege principles on devices can further reduce exposure. Continuous monitoring for unusual data access patterns on Apple devices is recommended until patches are fully deployed.

Description

This issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. This issue is fixed in iPadOS 17.7.9, macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.7.7. An app may be able to access protected user data.

References

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