CVE-2025-43186
Published: 30 July 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-43186 is a critical-severity Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer (CWE-119) vulnerability in Apple Macos. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203); ranked at the 49.9th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-16 (Memory Protection) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Implements memory protections like ASLR and DEP to directly mitigate memory corruption vulnerabilities such as CWE-119 during file parsing.
Requires timely identification, reporting, and patching of flaws like CVE-2025-43186, aligning with Apple's release of fixed OS versions.
Validates file inputs prior to parsing to block maliciously crafted files that trigger memory handling issues.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Buffer overflow in file parser enables remote client-side code execution via crafted file (no user interaction).
NVD Description
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.7.7, tvOS 18.6, visionOS 2.6, watchOS 11.6. Parsing a file may lead to an…
more
unexpected app termination.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-43186 is a memory handling vulnerability (CWE-119) affecting multiple Apple operating systems, where parsing a maliciously crafted file can lead to unexpected application termination. The issue was addressed through improved memory handling and is fixed in iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, macOS Sequoia 15.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.7, macOS Ventura 13.7.7, tvOS 18.6, visionOS 2.6, and watchOS 11.6. Systems running earlier versions of these platforms are vulnerable.
With a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), the vulnerability enables remote exploitation by unauthenticated attackers requiring low complexity and no user interaction. Attackers can deliver a specially crafted file over the network, potentially achieving high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, such as arbitrary code execution or system compromise.
Apple's security advisories detail the patches and recommend updating to the fixed versions immediately. Mitigation guidance is provided in the following support documents: https://support.apple.com/en-us/124147, https://support.apple.com/en-us/124149, https://support.apple.com/en-us/124150, https://support.apple.com/en-us/124151, and https://support.apple.com/en-us/124153.
Details
- CWE(s)