With the landscape of cyber threats continually evolving, it is crucial for users of Apple products to ensure their devices are protected against the latest vulnerabilities. Apple has recently rolled out patches to address numerous security flaws in both its desktop and mobile platforms, with particular attention to two zero-day vulnerabilities affecting older iPhone models. These flaws, tracked as CVE-2025-24201 and CVE-2025-24200, have posed significant risks to users, making immediate updates essential.
Detailed Breakdown
The first vulnerability, CVE-2025-24201, boasts a CVSS score of 8.8 and is described as an out-of-bounds write issue within WebKit. This flaw has the potential to let attackers break out of the Web Content sandbox by leveraging crafted web content. Initially mitigated in updates like iOS 18.3.2, iPadOS 18.3.2, and Safari 18.3.1, Apple has since extended fixes to older versions such as iOS 16.7.11, iPadOS 16.7.11, as well as iOS 15.8.4 and iPadOS 15.8.4. The inclusion of these patches in older versions is a testament to the severity of the vulnerability, which had previously been exploited in iOS versions earlier than 17.2.
CVE-2025-24200, a medium-severity authorization bug, enables physical attackers to disable USB Restricted Mode on locked devices. Although it was first addressed in updates released in February, such as iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, its presence demonstrated the potential for sophisticated attacks on specific users. This highlights the importance of ensuring devices remain updated, even when newer versions of software have been recently released.
Wide-ranging Updates
Extending beyond these two critical vulnerabilities, Apple has also introduced security updates targeting a vast array of issues in its latest mobile operating systems. With iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the company has patched 60 vulnerabilities, while iPadOS 17.7.6 addressed 38 flaws. These updates aim to mitigate threats such as arbitrary code execution, crashes, privilege escalation, information leaks, sandbox escapes, unauthorized access, preferences bypasses, denial-of-service attacks, memory corruption, user tracking, spoofing, and cross-site scripting attacks. Each of these poses a unique threat, contributing to an overarching attack surface that is continually expanding.
On the desktop front, Apple has been equally diligent in fortifying its macOS systems. The release of macOS Sequoia 15.4 addresses over 130 security bugs, providing comprehensive coverage against potential exploits. Likewise, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5 and macOS Ventura 13.7.5 received patches for more than 90 and approximately 85 security defects, respectively. These updates encompassed essential fixes for CVE-2025-24085, a critical CoreMedia bug that had previously been resolved for iOS. Each update underscores Apple’s proactive approach to securing its devices and maintaining user trust in the digital ecosystem.
Conclusion and Next Steps
With the landscape of cyber threats continually evolving, safeguarding Apple products against the latest vulnerabilities is crucial. Apple’s recent rollout of patches aims to address several security flaws across both its desktop and mobile platforms. Particularly concerning are the two zero-day vulnerabilities affecting older iPhone models, marked as CVE-2025-24201 and CVE-2025-24200. These issues have posed significant risks to users, making immediate updates essential. As cybercriminals constantly adapt, taking proactive measures to update your devices is vital in preventing potential exploitation. Apple’s dedication to user security emphasizes the importance of these critical updates. Users are encouraged to regularly check for and install the latest security patches to protect their personal information and maintain the integrity of their devices. Proactively updating ensures not only protection but also the continued performance of Apple products. In an age where cyber threats persist, taking these steps is indispensable for staying secure.
