CVE-2025-43200MalwarePublished 12 Jun 2025Updated 12 Jul 2025

Apple Multiple Products · Graphite Caught: First Forensic Confirmation of Paragon's iOS Mercenary Spyware Finds Journalists Targeted

Affects Apple Multiple ProductsSource AlienVault OTX General

Authoritative record:CVE-2025-43200· Medium 4.2

Exploited in the wild · KEV due 7 Jul 2025 · 1% EPSS · fixed in 18.3.1 : block it and hunt for it in your logs now.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.2Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

KEV deadline: 7 Jul 2025 US federal agencies must patch by this date; a sensible deadline for everyone else.
EPSS: 1.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 67% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: High: A successful attack depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control. That is, a successful attack cannot be accomplished at will, but requires the attacker to invest in some measurable amount of effort in preparation or execution against the vulnerable component before a successful attack can be expected. For example, a successful attack may require an attacker to: gather knowledge about the environment in which the vulnerable target/component exists; prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability; or inject themselves into the logical network path between the target and the resource requested by the victim in order to read and/or modify network communications (e.g., a man in the middle attack).
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Jun 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: evidence found.
Listed in CISA KEV the same day as disclosure
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

CVE published
on cve.org
16 Jun 202521:36 UTC, t = 0
Added to CISA KEV (opens in a new tab)
exploitation confirmed
16 Jun 2025, the same day as disclosure
In Threat Radar
record ingested
17 Jun 202500:00 UTC, 2 hours after disclosure
KEV remediation due
US federal deadline
7 Jul 2025, 21 days after disclosure

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CISA KEV (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
AppleiOS and iPadOS	Affected <18.3.1	Fixed in 18.3.1
AppleiOS and iPadOS	Affected <16.7.11	Fixed in 16.7.11
AppleiOS and iPadOS	Affected <15.8.4	Fixed in 15.8.4
AppleiPadOS	Affected <17.7.5	Fixed in 17.7.5
ApplemacOS	Affected <15.3.1	Fixed in 15.3.1
ApplemacOS	Affected <14.7.4	Fixed in 14.7.4

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Description

Graphite is a sophisticated mercenary spyware developed by the Paragon group that exploits a zero-click vulnerability (CVE-2025-43200) in iOS 18.2.1 via iMessage, enabling silent device compromise without user interaction. Forensic evidence confirms targeted attacks against European journalists, threatening press freedom and digital privacy. The spyware communicates with a command-and-control server at IP 46.183.184.91 and uses a unique iMessage account, indicating a well-resourced infrastructure. The Italian government acknowledged limited use of Graphite but denied involvement in these specific attacks. The zero-click nature and stealthy operation make detection and prevention extremely difficult, risking exposure of sensitive communications and confidential sources.

Impact

This threat poses significant risks to European organizations, particularly media outlets, journalists, and civil society groups. The zero-click exploit enables attackers to silently compromise devices, leading to potential exfiltration of sensitive communications, confidential sources, unpublished investigative materials, and personal data. Such compromises undermine journalistic integrity and press freedom, which are critical to democratic societies. The exposure of confidential sources and sensitive information can cause reputational damage and operational disruption to media organizations. The stealthy nature of the spyware increases the likelihood of prolonged undetected surveillance, potentially chilling investigative journalism and whistleblowing activities across Europe. The targeting of journalists also signals a broader espionage threat to other high-value individuals and organizations using similar tactics. Given the widespread use of iOS devices in Europe, this vulnerability poses a systemic risk to digital security and privacy. The involvement or acknowledgment by a government actor adds geopolitical and legal complexities, potentially affecting trust in state institutions and international relations.

Defensive guidance

1. Prioritize immediate deployment of official iOS patches addressing CVE-2025-43200 as soon as Apple releases them, ensuring all devices, especially those used by journalists and sensitive personnel, are updated promptly. 2. Temporarily restrict or disable the use of iMessage and other vulnerable communication apps on devices handling sensitive information until patches are confirmed and applied. 3. Deploy advanced mobile threat detection solutions capable of identifying anomalous behaviors indicative of spyware, such as unusual network traffic to known malicious IPs like 46.183.184.91. 4. Conduct regular forensic audits and integrity checks on devices used by high-risk users to detect early signs of compromise. 5. Enhance operational security training for journalists and staff, focusing on the risks of zero-click attacks and promoting the use of secure communication alternatives where feasible. 6. Establish and maintain active collaboration with cybersecurity intelligence sharing groups to stay updated on emerging threats, indicators of compromise, and mitigation strategies related to mercenary spyware. 7. Advocate for transparency, oversight, and accountability regarding government use of mercenary spyware to prevent misuse against civil society and protect press freedom. 8. Consider deploying hardware-based security features such as secure enclaves or trusted execution environments on devices to limit spyware capabilities and improve resilience.

Indicators of compromise

IP addresses 1

46.183.184.91

CVEs 1

CVE-2025-43200

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

Timeline