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Mallory
Medium

Kernel denial-of-service in Apple operating systems

IdentifiersCVE-2025-43398CWE-399

CVE-2025-43398 is a Kernel vulnerability in Apple operating systems caused by improper memory handling. Apple states that the issue was fixed with improved memory handling in iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2, iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and watchOS 26.1. The available advisory text consistently describes the impact as allowing an app to cause unexpected system termination. The vulnerable function or code path is not identified in the provided material, only that the flaw resides in the Kernel and was remediated through improved memory handling.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can cause unexpected system termination, resulting in a denial-of-service condition on the affected device. Based on the provided Apple advisory text, the documented impact is limited to system instability and crash/reboot behavior; there is no specific evidence in the supplied content that this CVE enables code execution, privilege escalation, or data disclosure.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by limiting installation and execution of untrusted or low-trust applications, since the advisory states exploitation is performed by an app. Use platform controls that restrict third-party app deployment and enforce trusted software policies. No vendor-specific workaround beyond updating is provided in the supplied content.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the vendor fixes provided by Apple. According to the supplied advisory content, the issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2, iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and watchOS 26.1. Systems running affected earlier versions should be updated to the appropriate patched release.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AppleIpadosoperating_system
AppleIphone Osoperating_system
AppleMacosoperating_system
AppleTvosoperating_system
AppleVisionosoperating_system
AppleWatchosoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.
Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity7

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.