Is CVE-2025-43520 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2025-43520 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on March 20, 2026.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-43520?

CVE-2025-43520 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

CVE-2025-43520

MEDIUM · CVSS 5.5CISA KEV: actively exploitedEPSS 0.4%EU EUVD: exploited

A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This 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, watchOS 26.1. A malicious application may be able to cause unexpected system termination or write kernel memory.

Key facts

CVSS score: 5.5 (v3.1)
Severity: MEDIUM
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness (CWE): CWE-120
EPSS score: 0.4% (35th percentile)
In CISA KEV: Yes, added March 20, 2026
In EU EUVD: Yes (EUVD-2025-203153)
Published: December 12, 2025
NVD last modified: October 7, 2026
Status: Analyzed

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability

Apple Multiple Products Classic Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Added to the KEV catalog on March 20, 2026; federal remediation due April 3, 2026.

EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD)

This vulnerability is also tracked by ENISA as EUVD-2025-203153 in the EU Vulnerability Database. ENISA flags it as known exploited. Last updated in EUVD on September 21, 2026.

View on the EU Vulnerability Database

Affected products

apple / ipados
apple / ipados
apple / iphone os
apple / iphone os
apple / macos
apple / macos
apple / tvos
apple / visionos
apple / watchos

Certified products that may be affected

28 FIPS 140 or Common Criteria certified products, from automated matching by sec-certs.org.

Apple macOS 26 Tahoe: FileVault - Apple Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11696-2026 - active
Apple macOS 26 Tahoe - Apple Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11695-2026 - active
Apple macOS 15 Sequoia - Apple Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11648-2026 - active
Strong Customer Authentication for Apple Pay on MacBook Air 2024 with M3running macOS Sequoia 15.4 - Apple Inc. - Common Criteria 2025-11-INF-4674 - active
Apple macOS 14 Sonoma - Apple Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11584-2025 - active

See all 28 in the Security Certifications Explorer.

References

https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/darksword-ios-exploit-chain/(Technical Description)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125632(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125633(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125634(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125635(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125636(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125637(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125638(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125639(Release Notes, Vendor Advisory)
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-43520(US Government Resource)

Last updated October 9, 2026 · Source: NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS

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