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CVE Record

CVE-2025-43438: A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management.

A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in Safari 26.1, iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2, iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, visionOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to an unexpected Safari crash.

HighCVSS 8.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2025-43438 is an Apple use-after-free memory bug triggered by malicious web content. Apple says it may cause an unexpected Safari crash. Because browsers process untrusted content daily and the CVSS score is high, organizations should treat browser and Apple OS updates as a near-term endpoint hygiene priority.

Executive priority

Prioritize patching in the normal urgent browser-update window, especially for executive, mobile, and internet-facing user populations. Current evidence supports high severity but not confirmed active exploitation from the provided bundle.

Technical view

The issue is classified as CWE-416 use-after-free with CVSS 3.1 score 8.8, network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, and required user interaction. Apple fixed it through improved memory management across Safari and multiple Apple operating systems. Public Apple wording describes Safari crash impact; broader CVSS impact fields are high.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely on Apple endpoints running Safari or affected Apple operating systems before Safari 26.1, iOS/iPadOS 18.7.2, iOS/iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, visionOS 26.1, or watchOS 26.1. Red Hat references exist, but the prompt bundle does not provide package-level exposure details.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. The attack scenario requires a user to process maliciously crafted web content. No exploit code or operational exploitation details are included in the provided sources.

Researcher notes

Apple attributes the fix to improved memory management. The public description is crash-focused, while CVSS indicates high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Treat root-cause detail and Red Hat package applicability as incomplete unless confirmed in vendor advisories.

Mitigation direction

  • Update Safari to 26.1 where applicable.
  • Update iOS and iPadOS to 18.7.2 or 26.1 as appropriate.
  • Update macOS Tahoe, visionOS, and watchOS to 26.1 where applicable.
  • Prioritize managed devices that browse external or untrusted websites.
  • Review linked Red Hat advisories for any Red Hat-managed exposure.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Apple devices and record OS and Safari versions.
  • Confirm Safari 26.1 or listed fixed OS versions are installed.
  • Check MDM compliance reports for lagging Apple endpoints.
  • Review vulnerability scanner detections against the vendor fixed versions.
  • For Red Hat environments, verify applicability through linked Red Hat advisories.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
12

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2025-43438 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
8.8 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

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

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

2CVSS vectors
5Timeline events
2ADP providers
21Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: total

CVSS vector scores

2 official scores

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
8.8CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9redhat-SADP
4.3CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L2.81.4CISA-ADP

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

8.8High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-43438Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

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

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. ADP timelineredhat-SADP

    Made public.

  4. ADP timelineredhat-SADP

    Reported to Red Hat.

  5. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
cvssV3_1other:ssvc
redhat-SADPwebkitgtk: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to an unexpected Safari crash
other:Red Hat severity ratingcvssV3_1
  • 2026-03-18T20:11:28.807Z: Reported to Red Hat.
  • 2026-03-18T00:00:00.000Z: Made public.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
AppleSafari0Listed
AppleiOS and iPadOS0, 0Listed
ApplemacOS0Listed
ApplevisionOS0Listed
ApplewatchOS0Listed
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-416

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-416 · source CWE mapping

Use After Free

Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.

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