CVE-2025-43429 is a buffer overflow vulnerability classified under CWE-119, found in Apple’s iOS and iPadOS platforms. The flaw stems from insufficient bounds checking when processing web content, which can be maliciously crafted to trigger an unexpected process crash. This vulnerability affects the availability of the affected device by causing denial of service through application or process termination. The vulnerability requires no privileges to exploit but does require user interaction, such as visiting a malicious website or opening crafted web content. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, indicating medium severity, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L. This means the attack can be launched remotely over the network with low attack complexity, no privileges, but requires user interaction, and impacts only availability. Apple fixed the issue in iOS and iPadOS 18.7.2, improving bounds checking to prevent buffer overflow. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported so far. The vulnerability primarily threatens the stability and availability of iOS and iPadOS devices, potentially disrupting user operations or services relying on these devices.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of denial-of-service conditions on iOS and iPadOS devices, which could disrupt business operations, especially in environments heavily reliant on mobile Apple devices. While it does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, unexpected crashes could interrupt critical workflows, communications, or access to enterprise applications. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, which often use iOS devices for secure communications and mobile work, may experience operational impacts. The medium severity and requirement for user interaction reduce the likelihood of widespread exploitation, but targeted attacks or phishing campaigns could leverage this vulnerability to cause disruption. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or mobile workforces should be particularly vigilant. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for prompt patching.

1. Deploy iOS and iPadOS updates to version 18.7.2 or later across all organizational devices promptly to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Implement mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce update policies and monitor device compliance. 3. Educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted web content and phishing attempts that could trigger the vulnerability. 4. Restrict access to potentially malicious websites using web filtering solutions, especially on corporate networks and VPNs. 5. Employ network security controls to detect and block suspicious web traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 6. For high-security environments, consider disabling or limiting web content rendering capabilities in sensitive applications or sandboxing browsers. 7. Maintain incident response readiness to quickly identify and mitigate any signs of exploitation or device instability related to this vulnerability.