Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-43444

Apple Ipados ≤ 26.1

Published
04 November 2025
Modified
02 April 2026
CVSS Score v3.1 5.3
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0050 40th percentile
Risk Priority 35 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-43444 is a medium-severity Incorrect Default Permissions (CWE-276) vulnerability in Apple Ipados. Its CVSS base score is 5.3 (Medium).

Operationally, ranked at the 40th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A01:2025 Broken Access Control

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2, iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1. An app may be able to fingerprint the…

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user.

CWE(s)
CWE-276

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-43507Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2025-24107Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-32407Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-34352Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-32399Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2024-23201Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2025-24238Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2024-44285Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2025-43323Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-32404Same product: Apple Ipados

Affected Assets

apple
ipados
≤ 26.1
apple
iphone os
≤ 26.1
apple
tvos
≤ 26.1
apple
visionos
≤ 26.1
apple
watchos
≤ 26.1

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)
  • AC-3 Access Enforcement
  • AC-6 Least Privilege
  • SC-39 Process Isolation
Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 11 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

—

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

AC-3 Access Enforcement good match
prevent

Directly enforces access restrictions on resources that the vulnerable app was able to read without authorization, blocking the fingerprinting vector.

AC-6 Least Privilege good match
prevent

Requires apps to operate with only the minimum privileges needed, eliminating the excessive permissions that enabled user fingerprinting.

SC-39 Process Isolation partial match
prevent

Enforces process isolation boundaries so one app cannot observe or collect identifying attributes belonging to the user or other processes.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-01 full match
prevents

Hardened baselines and configuration management explicitly require correct default file permissions.

PR.AA-05 mostly match
prevents

Defining and enforcing least-privilege access permissions directly prevents overly permissive defaults at install time.

ID.AM-08 partial match
prevents

Lifecycle management can encompass permission settings, yet the control is too broad to specifically mitigate incorrect defaults.

PR.PS-06 partial match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices include establishing secure defaults, but address only the development-phase portion of the weakness.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.9 Configuration management mostly match
prevents

Standard templates that restrict access to utility programs and host parameter settings prevent the assignment of overly permissive default permissions on critical resources.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that reduce the attack surface for weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Derived transitively via CVE→CWE→STIG over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only).

Windows Server 2016 (1 rule)
  • V-224833 Permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. via CWE-276
Windows Server 2019 (2 rules)
  • V-205735 Windows Server 2019 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. via CWE-276
  • V-205736 Windows Server 2019 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. via CWE-276
Windows Server 2022 (2 rules)
  • V-254252 Windows Server 2022 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. via CWE-276
  • V-254253 Windows Server 2022 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. via CWE-276

References