CVE-2025-46279: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An app may be able to identify what other apps a user has installed
Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical · fixed in 18.7.3 : patch Apple iOS and iPadOS as a priority.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 30% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 18.7.3
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 17 Dec 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.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Apple iOS and iPadOS | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2025-46279, organizations and users should immediately update all affected Apple devices to the patched OS versions: iOS 18.7.3, iPadOS 18.7.3, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, and watchOS 26.2 or later. Enterprises should enforce mobile device management (MDM) policies that mandate these updates and restrict app installation to trusted sources only. App developers and security teams should monitor app behavior for unauthorized attempts to enumerate installed apps and consider implementing runtime detection of such activities. Users should be cautious about installing apps from untrusted developers or sources outside the official App Store. Additionally, organizations should review app permissions and audit installed apps to minimize exposure. Network-level protections such as app reputation filtering and anomaly detection can help identify malicious apps attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Finally, Apple should continue to enhance app sandboxing and permission models to prevent similar issues in the future.
Description
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3, iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2. An app may be able to identify what other apps a user has installed.
References
- support.apple.com/en-us/125884 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/125885 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/125886 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/125889 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/125890 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/125891 (opens in a new tab)