CVE-2025-43502 is a privacy bypass vulnerability identified in Apple Safari and related Apple operating systems including iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. The vulnerability stems from improper enforcement of privacy preferences, allowing an application to circumvent restrictions designed to protect sensitive user data. Specifically, the issue relates to the exposure of sensitive information that should have been restricted by privacy settings, categorized under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control). The vulnerability is remotely exploitable 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 confidentiality, with no direct effect on integrity or availability. Apple resolved the issue by removing the sensitive data exposure in the updated versions of Safari and the respective operating systems. Although no exploits have been observed in the wild, the high CVSS score of 7.5 reflects the significant risk posed by this vulnerability due to ease of exploitation and potential data leakage. Organizations using Apple devices and Safari browsers should be aware of this vulnerability and apply updates promptly to mitigate the risk.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-43502 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data due to privacy preference bypass in Safari and Apple OS environments. This can lead to exposure of confidential information, potentially violating data protection regulations such as GDPR. Organizations in sectors like finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure that rely heavily on Apple ecosystems for secure communications and data handling are particularly vulnerable. The breach of privacy controls may undermine user trust and lead to compliance penalties. Since the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, the risk is confined to confidentiality breaches. However, given the widespread use of Apple devices in Europe, the scope of affected systems is broad. The lack of required privileges or user interaction makes exploitation easier, increasing the threat level. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation measures: 1) Prioritize immediate deployment of Apple’s security updates for iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and Safari 26.1 across all managed devices. 2) Enforce strict patch management policies to ensure timely updates on all Apple devices, including those used by remote or mobile employees. 3) Conduct audits of privacy settings and application permissions on Apple devices to detect and restrict unauthorized access attempts. 4) Monitor network traffic for unusual data exfiltration patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5) Educate users about the importance of installing updates promptly and recognizing suspicious app behavior. 6) For highly sensitive environments, consider implementing additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions tailored for Apple platforms to detect anomalous activities. 7) Coordinate with legal and compliance teams to assess potential data exposure and prepare incident response plans aligned with GDPR requirements. 8) Limit the use of third-party applications that may exploit this vulnerability until patches are confirmed applied.