CVE-2025-43447 in visionOS
Summary
by MITRE • 11/04/2025
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, visionOS 26.1. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2025
This vulnerability represents a memory handling flaw that could enable malicious applications to trigger unexpected system behavior through improper kernel memory manipulation. The issue affects multiple Apple operating systems including iOS iPadOS watchOS macOS Tahoe and visionOS all at version 26.1 and later. The vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management practices that allow an application to potentially corrupt kernel memory structures or force system termination. Such flaws typically arise when developers fail to properly validate memory operations or when buffer overflows occur during kernel-level memory allocation and deallocation processes.
The technical impact of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses documented in CWE categories related to memory safety and kernel integrity. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to cause system instability through memory corruption attacks that might lead to privilege escalation or denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's classification as a memory handling issue suggests it may be related to improper bounds checking or use-after-free conditions that could be leveraged by malicious applications to gain unauthorized access to kernel memory spaces. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and defense evasion tactics where adversaries attempt to manipulate system memory to achieve persistent access or system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that could compromise the integrity of the entire operating system. When an application can corrupt kernel memory it creates opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code with the highest system privileges or to manipulate critical system functions. The fact that this issue was addressed in multiple platform versions indicates Apple recognized the severity of potential exploitation across their ecosystem. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as a critical threat to system stability and security, particularly in environments where untrusted applications might be executed or where system integrity is paramount for security operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate deployment of the patched versions across all affected platforms including iOS iPadOS watchOS macOS Tahoe and visionOS. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring for unusual system termination events or memory corruption indicators that might signal exploitation attempts. Additional defensive measures include application sandboxing enforcement and regular security audits of system memory usage patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous memory access patterns or system behavior that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The fix implemented by Apple addresses the root cause through improved memory handling mechanisms that prevent applications from corrupting kernel memory structures and ensure proper memory lifecycle management throughout the operating system's execution environment.