CVE-2025-43529
Published: 17 December 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-43529 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Apple Ipados. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203); ranked at the 37.6th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities 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
Directly mandates timely patching and updating of software flaws like this use-after-free vulnerability fixed in Safari 26.2 and related OS versions.
Implements memory protections such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention to mitigate exploitation of use-after-free errors in web content processing.
Enables vulnerability scanning to identify systems affected by CVE-2025-43529 that remain unpatched prior to exploitation.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
The use-after-free vulnerability in WebKit enables arbitrary code execution via exploitation of client-side software (browser/engine) with malicious web content, directly mapping to Exploitation for Client Execution.
NVD Description
A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in Safari 26.2, iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3, iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2. Processing maliciously crafted web content…
more
may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26. CVE-2025-14174 was also issued in response to this report.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-43529 is a use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in Apple software, addressed through improved memory management. It affects Safari prior to version 26.2, as well as iOS and iPadOS prior to 18.7.3 and 26.2, macOS Tahoe prior to 26.2, tvOS prior to 26.2, visionOS prior to 26.2, and watchOS prior to 26.2. The flaw arises when processing maliciously crafted web content, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.
The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating network accessibility, low attack complexity, no required privileges, and user interaction. Remote attackers can exploit it by tricking targeted users into visiting or interacting with malicious web content, achieving arbitrary code execution with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Apple's security advisories, available at support.apple.com/en-us/125884, 125885, 125886, 125889, and 125890, confirm the issue is fixed in the specified versions of Safari, iOS, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Security practitioners should prioritize updating affected devices to mitigate the risk.
Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26. CVE-2025-14174 was also issued in response to this report.
Details
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 15 December 2025