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Apple Rushes to Patch Critical Security Flaw Exploited in Attacks
21 Aug
Summary
- iOS 18.6.2 fixes a serious vulnerability in Image/IO
- Flaw allows malicious images to cause memory corruption
- Apple aware of reports of the issue being exploited in targeted attacks
- Updating to iOS 18.6.2 is critical to remain protected
On August 22nd, 2025, Apple released iOS 18.6.2 to address a serious security vulnerability that has already been exploited in targeted attacks. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-43300, is in the Image/IO component of iOS, which allows applications to read and write most image file formats. If a user processes a malicious image, the vulnerability could result in memory corruption, potentially allowing attackers to make apps crash or even run malicious code.
Apple has acknowledged that it is "aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals." This suggests the flaw may have been used in spyware campaigns, possibly by nation-state actors, to infiltrate the devices of dissidents, journalists, or businesses in certain sectors.
The release of iOS 18.6.2 comes just three weeks after Apple fixed a list of 29 other vulnerabilities in iOS 18.6. While the tech giant has not provided many details about the latest patch, it is clear that updating to iOS 18.6.2 is critical to remain protected, as the flaw has already been actively exploited. Users are advised to download and install the update immediately to safeguard their devices.
