CVE-2025-43531 is a race condition vulnerability identified in Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, and several other Apple operating systems including watchOS, macOS Tahoe, visionOS, and tvOS. The vulnerability stems from improper state handling during the processing of web content, which can be maliciously crafted to trigger an unexpected process crash. This flaw is classified under CWE-362 (Race Condition), indicating a timing issue where concurrent operations lead to inconsistent or unexpected behavior. The vulnerability requires user interaction, such as visiting a maliciously crafted webpage, and has a high attack complexity, meaning exploitation is not straightforward. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.1, reflecting a low severity primarily due to its limited impact on system confidentiality and integrity, affecting only availability by causing denial-of-service through process crashes. Apple has released patches in versions 18.7.3 and 26.2 of the affected platforms and Safari browser to address this issue by improving state management and eliminating the race condition. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but unpatched devices remain vulnerable to potential denial-of-service attacks that could disrupt user experience or critical applications relying on these platforms.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-43531 is the potential for denial-of-service conditions on Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, and other Apple platforms. This could disrupt business operations, especially for sectors relying on mobile device availability such as finance, healthcare, and public services. Although the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, unexpected process crashes could lead to application instability, loss of productivity, and increased support costs. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or those deploying Apple devices for critical communications may experience interruptions. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the widespread use of Apple devices in Europe means that unpatched systems could be targeted by attackers aiming to cause disruption. The impact is more pronounced in environments where continuous availability of mobile applications and services is essential.

To mitigate CVE-2025-43531, European organizations should prioritize the deployment of Apple’s security updates, specifically versions 18.7.3 and 26.2 for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS Tahoe, visionOS, tvOS, and Safari. Patch management processes must ensure timely installation across all managed devices. Additionally, organizations should implement network-level protections such as web content filtering to block access to potentially malicious websites that could exploit this vulnerability. User education is important to reduce the risk of interacting with suspicious web content. Monitoring device logs for unusual process crashes can help detect exploitation attempts early. For critical environments, consider restricting the use of untrusted or unmanaged devices and enforcing strict application whitelisting policies. Incident response plans should include procedures for handling denial-of-service scenarios caused by device instability. Finally, collaboration with Apple support channels can facilitate rapid response to any emerging threats related to this vulnerability.