CVE-2025-43375 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Apple Xcode, the integrated development environment (IDE) widely used for macOS and iOS application development. The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation when processing path values within the software. Specifically, when Xcode processes an overly large path value, it may cause a process crash due to improper input handling. This is categorized under CWE-20, which relates to improper input validation. The flaw can be triggered remotely without requiring any privileges or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). The impact is limited to availability, as the vulnerability causes a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by crashing processes, without affecting confidentiality or integrity. Apple addressed this issue by implementing improved input validation checks in Xcode 26. Although the affected versions are unspecified, users running versions prior to Xcode 26 are vulnerable. There are currently no known exploits in the wild, but the ease of exploitation and the potential for service disruption make this a significant concern for developers relying on Xcode for software builds and testing.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-43375 lies in potential disruption of software development workflows. Organizations using Xcode for macOS or iOS application development may experience crashes that interrupt build processes, continuous integration pipelines, or testing environments. This can lead to delays in software delivery, increased operational costs, and potential loss of productivity. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise data confidentiality or integrity, denial-of-service conditions in development environments can indirectly affect business operations, especially for companies with tight release schedules or those providing critical software services. Additionally, organizations involved in developing security-sensitive applications may face increased risk if development tools become unstable or unreliable. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability's low complexity and no requirement for authentication mean attackers could potentially cause disruption with minimal effort.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading to Xcode 26 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed with improved input validation. Until the upgrade is applied, development teams should implement strict input validation and sanitization for any automated scripts or tools that interact with Xcode paths to prevent injection of overly large path values. Monitoring and logging of Xcode process crashes can help detect exploitation attempts early. Organizations should also consider isolating build environments and limiting network exposure of development machines to reduce the attack surface. Incorporating automated testing to detect abnormal crashes during build processes can provide early warning. Finally, educating developers and DevOps teams about this vulnerability and encouraging prompt patch management will minimize the risk of disruption.