CVE-2025-43338
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAn out-of-bounds access issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, macOS Tahoe 26. Processing a maliciously crafted media file may lead to unexpected app termination or corrupt process memory.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceOut-of-bounds memory access vulnerability in Apple media processing components. Processing a maliciously crafted media file can lead to denial of service (app crash) or memory corruption that could potentially be exploited for code execution. Fixed via improved bounds checking in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2/14.8.4, and macOS Tahoe 26.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 26.0< 26.0< 14.8.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the operating systemDetermine if the device runs iOS, iPadOS, or macOS. On iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > General > About. On macOS, click Apple menu > About This Mac.Affected if Running iOS, iPadOS, or macOS
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Check iOS/iPadOS versionOn iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > General > About and note the version number (e.g., 25.4, 25.5). Compare against the fixed version 26.0.Affected if iOS or iPadOS version is below 26.0
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Check macOS versionOn macOS, click Apple menu > About This Mac and note the version number (e.g., 14.7, 14.8.1). Compare against the fixed versions 14.8.2 or 14.8.4.Affected if macOS version is below 14.8.2
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Verify media processing exposureDetermine if the device processes media files from external or untrusted sources. This includes receiving media via messaging apps, email attachments, web downloads, or AirDrop from unknown senders.Affected if Media files from untrusted sources are processed on an affected OS version
A user is affected if their device runs iOS/iPadOS below 26.0 or macOS below 14.8.2 AND they process media files from untrusted sources.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped14.8.226.0
Apply vendor-supplied OS updates (iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2/14.8.4, or macOS Tahoe 26) to all affected devices. Until patched, avoid opening media files from untrusted sources.
iOS 26 / iPadOS 26 / macOS Sonoma 14.8.2+
- Upgrade iPadOS to version 26.0 or later
- Upgrade iPhone OS (iOS) to version 26.0 or later
- Upgrade macOS Sonoma to version 14.8.2 or later, or 14.8.4 if available
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-43338 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-43338 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data