CVE-2025-46300 is a vulnerability identified in Apple’s macOS and related operating systems that allows a malicious Human Interface Device (HID) to trigger an unexpected process crash. The root cause is a bounds checking error (CWE-119) in the handling of input from HID devices, which can be exploited to cause denial of service by crashing processes unexpectedly. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple platforms, including macOS Sequoia, macOS Sonoma, iOS, and iPadOS prior to their respective patched versions (15.7.4 for Sequoia, 14.8.4 for Sonoma, and 18.7.5 for iOS/iPadOS). Exploitation requires an attacker to connect a malicious HID device, such as a keyboard or mouse, to the target system and involves user interaction. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.7 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is adjacent network (AV:A), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), user interaction required (UI:R), unchanged scope (S:U), no impact on confidentiality or integrity (C:N/I:N), but high impact on availability (A:H). Apple mitigated the issue by implementing improved bounds checks to prevent buffer overflows or memory corruption that lead to crashes. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported. This vulnerability primarily results in denial of service rather than data compromise or privilege escalation.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-46300 is denial of service through unexpected process crashes caused by malicious HID devices. For organizations, this could disrupt critical applications or system processes, potentially affecting productivity and operational continuity. While it does not lead to data leakage or unauthorized access, repeated or targeted crashes could be used to degrade system reliability or cause interruptions in service. Environments with high reliance on Apple devices, especially those that allow external peripherals, are at risk. Attackers with physical or logical access to connect malicious HID devices could exploit this vulnerability. Although no known exploits exist in the wild, the medium severity and ease of exploitation via user interaction mean organizations should not ignore this threat. The vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks or insider threat scenarios to cause disruption.

Organizations should promptly apply the security updates released by Apple: macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, iOS 18.7.5, and iPadOS 18.7.5 or later. Beyond patching, implement strict controls on physical access to Apple devices to prevent unauthorized connection of HID peripherals. Employ endpoint security solutions that monitor and restrict the use of unknown or untrusted USB devices. Educate users about the risks of connecting unknown peripherals and encourage vigilance. For high-security environments, consider disabling unused HID interfaces or using device whitelisting to allow only approved peripherals. Regularly audit device inventories and peripheral usage policies. Network segmentation can limit the impact of compromised devices. Monitoring system logs for unusual process crashes may help detect exploitation attempts early.