CVE-2025-43422VulnerabilityPublished 4 Nov 2025Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2025-43422: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An attacker with physical access to a device may be able to disable Stolen Device Protection

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.6 Medium · fixed in 26.1 : update Apple iOS and iPadOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.6Medium

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

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 26.1

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Physical: The attack requires the attacker to physically touch or manipulate the vulnerable component. Physical interaction may be brief or persistent.
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: 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 4 Nov 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-2025-43422, organizations and users should promptly update all affected Apple devices to iOS and iPadOS version 26.1 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict physical security policies to minimize unauthorized physical access to devices, including secure storage and tracking of mobile assets. Implementing Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions can help enforce security policies, remotely lock or wipe devices, and monitor device status. Additionally, enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Apple ID accounts adds a layer of protection even if device protections are bypassed. Educating users on the importance of reporting lost or stolen devices immediately and ensuring rapid response procedures can reduce the window of opportunity for attackers. Regular audits of device inventory and security posture will help identify unpatched or vulnerable devices. Finally, organizations should consider device encryption and data loss prevention controls to limit data exposure if devices are compromised.

Description

The issue was addressed by adding additional logic. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1. An attacker with physical access to a device may be able to disable Stolen Device Protection.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2025-43422 is on the integrity of device security controls, specifically the Stolen Device Protection mechanism. If exploited, attackers with physical access can disable this protection, allowing them to reset or repurpose stolen or lost devices without the owner's Apple ID credentials. This undermines the security model designed to deter theft and unauthorized use of Apple mobile devices. Organizations relying heavily on iOS and iPadOS devices for sensitive operations may face increased risk of data exposure or device misuse if devices are lost or stolen and not updated. While confidentiality and availability are not directly compromised by this vulnerability, the loss of device control can lead to indirect data breaches or operational disruptions. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the ease of exploitation with physical access means that attackers targeting lost or stolen devices could leverage this flaw to bypass protections. This could impact sectors such as government, finance, healthcare, and enterprises with mobile workforces where device theft or loss is a realistic threat.

CWE-288Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.
Architecture and Design
Funnel all access through a single choke point to simplify how users can access a resource. For every access, perform a check to determine if the user has permissions to access the resource.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.2.3 (opens in a new tab)
V1.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
V1.2.4 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Directory Indexing (opens in a new tab)
Exploitation of Thunderbolt Protection Flaws (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

support.apple.com/en-us/125632 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 02:18 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-288

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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