Apple has released an important security update addressing a vulnerability in its font parsing system that affects several of its operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. This update is crucial for users to protect their devices from potential attacks involving malicious font files.
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-43400, involves an out-of-bounds write error in Apple’s font parser. In other words, processing a specially crafted font file could cause an app to crash unexpectedly or corrupt memory in a way that could be exploited.
Fonts might seem harmless, but they are commonly embedded in documents, websites, and apps. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by delivering malicious font files that, when opened or processed by your device, could cause crashes or potentially worse outcomes.
While there are no reports of this vulnerability being actively exploited at the moment, memory corruption flaws like this are often serious because they can sometimes be combined with other vulnerabilities to execute harmful code or gain unauthorized access.
The security flaw affects a wide range of Apple devices, including:
- iPhones (iPhone 11 and later)
- iPads (iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 8th generation and later, iPad mini 5th generation and later)
- Mac computers running macOS Tahoe, Sequoia, and Sonoma
- Devices running visionOS
Apple released the fix as part of:
- iOS 26.0.1
- iPadOS 26.0.1
- visionOS 26.0.1
- macOS Tahoe 26.0.1, Sequoia 15.7.1 and Sonoma 14.8.1
Apple devices with automatic updates enabled should receive this security patch during their next update cycle. However, if you manually manage updates, it’s important to check for and update as needed.
- On iPhone or iPad, open Settings then go to General >> Sofware Update.
- Mac users should check for and install the macOS update via System Settings > Software Update.
For enterprise environments or those handling multiple Apple devices, it can pose a notable risk, especially if fonts are processed automatically or without proper scrutiny. If managing devices in a business or organization, verify that all affected devices are updated promptly to maintain security across your network.
Keeping your software up to date is one of the most effective ways to protect your devices from emerging threats. Don’t delay in installing this important update.
For more information on Apple’s security updates, visit Apple’s security releases page.
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