CVE-2025-46300 is a vulnerability identified in Apple iOS and iPadOS, as well as other Apple operating systems, where a malicious Human Interface Device (HID) can trigger an unexpected process crash. The root cause is a lack of proper bounds checking (classified under CWE-119), which allows specially crafted input from a connected HID to cause memory corruption leading to denial of service. This vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but affects availability by crashing processes unexpectedly. Exploitation requires an attacker to connect a malicious HID device to the target system and involves user interaction, as the device must be recognized and used by the system. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.7 (medium severity), reflecting the attack vector as adjacent network (AV:A), 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), and high impact on availability (A:H). Apple has addressed the issue with improved bounds checks in iOS 18.7.5, iPadOS 18.7.5, and corresponding updates for macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the vulnerability poses a risk of denial-of-service attacks via malicious peripherals.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-46300 is denial of service due to process crashes triggered by malicious HID devices. For organizations, this can lead to disruption of critical applications or services running on Apple mobile devices, potentially affecting productivity and operational continuity. While the vulnerability does not allow data theft or system compromise, repeated crashes could degrade user experience and cause downtime. In environments where Apple devices are used for sensitive or mission-critical tasks, such as healthcare, finance, or government sectors, this disruption could have significant operational consequences. Additionally, the requirement for physical or logical proximity to connect a malicious HID device limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in scenarios where devices are shared or exposed to untrusted peripherals. The vulnerability also affects a wide range of Apple platforms, increasing the scope of potential impact.

To mitigate CVE-2025-46300, organizations should: 1) Ensure all Apple devices are updated promptly to iOS 18.7.5, iPadOS 18.7.5, or later versions that include the fix. 2) Implement strict policies restricting the use of untrusted or unknown HID devices, especially in high-security environments. 3) Employ endpoint security solutions capable of monitoring and controlling peripheral device connections. 4) Educate users about the risks of connecting unauthorized USB or Bluetooth HID devices. 5) Where feasible, disable or limit HID device interfaces when not in use. 6) Monitor device logs for unusual peripheral connection events that could indicate attempted exploitation. 7) For organizations with mobile device management (MDM), enforce configuration profiles that restrict peripheral usage and ensure compliance with patching policies. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling the attack vector (HID devices) and ensuring rapid deployment of vendor patches.