# CVE-2025-43529: Apple Multiple Products Use-After-Free WebKit

> Processing malicious web content in Apple Safari may lead to arbitrary code execution via a use-after-free vulnerability.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 15 Dec 2025 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 21 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2025-43529, GHSA-m9mp-fmfc-g6gc, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-43529

## What is CVE-2025-43529?

CVE-2025-43529 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 17 Dec 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in Safari 26.2, iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3, iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26. CVE-2025-14174 was also issued in response to this report.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-43529?

It affects 7 products.


Products: Apple Ipados, Apple Iphone Os, Apple Macos, Apple Safari, Apple Tvos, Apple Visionos, Apple Watchos.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-43529?

Apply the vendor's patch. US federal agencies must fix it by 5 Jan 2026.

## Is CVE-2025-43529 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2025-43529 in the wild since at least 15 Dec 2025.

Public exploit code:

- Analysis of CVE-2025-43529 (WebKit UAF) + CVE-2025-14174 (ANGLE OOB) exploit chain - iOS Safari (github_poc): https://github.com/0xjohnnydev/WebKit-UAF-ANGLE-OOB-Analysis
- A demonstration of read write using cve-2025-43529 and userland PAC bypass on iOS 26.1 (github_poc): https://github.com/GenericCoding/pois0nSword
- exploit for cve-2025-43529 (github_poc): https://github.com/jir4vv1t/CVE-2025-43529
- Root Cause Analysis for CVE-2025-43529, a UAF vulnerability due to incorrect DFG StoreBarrierInsertionPhase in JavaScriptCore. (github_poc): https://github.com/bjrjk/CVE-2025-43529
- CTT-Enhanced iOS Safari Exploit (based on CVE-2025-43529) (github_poc): https://github.com/SimoesCTT/Convergent-Time-Theory-Enhanced-iOS-Safari-RCE-CVE-2025-43529-
- webkit_refraction.js (The 33-Layer WebGL Payload) ​This JavaScript payload uses the \alpha constant to create a high-frequency "Memory Shiver." It induces the Use-After-Free (UAF) in CVE-2025-43529 by desynchronizing the WebKit garbage collector from the GPU's Metal command buffer. (github_poc): https://github.com/SimoesCTT/CTT-Apple-Silicon-Refraction

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Ipados

- [CVE-2025-43300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-43300/): Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Out-of-Bounds Write (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-24201](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24201/): Apple Multiple Products WebKit Out-of-Bounds Write (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-24085](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24085/): Apple Multiple Products Use-After-Free (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-31200](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31200/): Apple Multiple Products Memory Corruption (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-31201](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31201/): Apple Multiple Products Arbitrary Read and Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-43529 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-43529 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Apple Ipados, published on 17 Dec 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2025-43529 in the wild since at least 15 Dec 2025.

Affected product: Apple Ipados. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-43529/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-43529/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-43529
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-43529
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-43529

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-43529/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.