dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2025-43542

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.7.3 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
This issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3, iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.3, macOS Tahoe 26.2, visionOS 26.2. Password fields may be unintentionally revealed when remotely controlling a device over FaceTime.

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 confidence

During FaceTime remote control sessions, password fields in applications may unintentionally display their actual characters instead of being masked (showing dots/circles) to the remote viewer controlling the device. This is a state management flaw where the app fails to maintain proper password masking when screen sharing/remote control is active via FaceTime's SharePlay functionality.

MitigationApply the available security updates: iOS 18.7.3/26.2, iPadOS 18.7.3/26.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.3/Tahoe 26.2, or visionOS 26.2. Avoid using FaceTime remote control to access devices with sensitive applications until the update is installed.

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
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 15.7.3

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check your installed macOS version
    Go to Apple menu > About This Mac and note the macOS version number (e.g., 15.2, 14.7, etc.), or run `sw_vers -productVersion` in Terminal
    Affected if The version is below 15.7.3 (for example, 15.2, 15.1, 15.0, 14.x, 13.x)
  2. Confirm FaceTime application presence
    Check if /Applications/FaceTime.app exists on the system using Finder or by running `ls /Applications/FaceTime.app` in Terminal
    Affected if FaceTime.app is installed on the system
  3. Verify Screen Recording permission status
    Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording and confirm if FaceTime is granted Screen Recording permission, or run `tccutil list | grep -i facetime`
    Affected if FaceTime has Screen Recording permission enabled, which enables SharePlay and remote control features
  4. Review recent FaceTime session logs
    Check Console.app or run `log show --predicate 'facetime' --last 7d` to identify recent FaceTime calls with SharePlay or screen sharing activity
    Affected if FaceTime calls with SharePlay or screen sharing were initiated within the past days or weeks

You are affected if macOS version is below 15.7.3 AND FaceTime with Screen Recording permission has been used for SharePlay or remote control sessions where password fields could have been exposed.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 15.7.3 or later
Fixed in 15.7.3
Interim mitigation

Apply the available security updates: iOS 18.7.3/26.2, iPadOS 18.7.3/26.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.3/Tahoe 26.2, or visionOS 26.2. Avoid using FaceTime remote control to access devices with sensitive applications until the update is installed.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Sequoia 15.7.3 or later

  1. Check the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting 'About This Mac'
  2. Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup solution before performing the upgrade
  3. Open System Settings and navigate to General > Software Update
  4. Click 'Check for Updates' and wait for macOS Sequoia 15.7.3 or later to appear
  5. Click 'Download and Install' to begin the upgrade process
  6. Follow the on-screen prompts and allow the device to restart to complete the installation
  7. After upgrading, verify the version by checking 'About This Mac' confirms macOS 15.7.3 or later is installed
Caveat Standard macOS upgrade considerations apply - ensure compatibility with existing applications and back up data before proceeding

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-43542 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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