High

Kernel memory corruption in Apple Neural Engine

IdentifiersCVE-2025-43462CWE-119

CVE-2025-43462 is a memory-handling vulnerability in Apple Neural Engine. According to Apple's advisory, a malicious app may be able to trigger unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory. The issue affects Apple platforms including tvOS, watchOS, macOS Tahoe, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS, and was fixed in version 26.1 of those operating systems through improved memory handling. The available information does not identify the specific vulnerable function or code path beyond the affected component and the memory-handling nature of the flaw.

For your environment

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation may allow a local application to destabilize the system, causing unexpected termination, and may also result in kernel memory corruption. Kernel memory corruption can potentially undermine kernel integrity and could create conditions for more serious post-exploitation outcomes depending on exploitability, but Apple’s published description specifically confirms system termination and kernel memory corruption.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by limiting installation and execution of untrusted or unnecessary applications on affected devices, enforcing application control/MDM policies where available, and prioritizing updates on systems that permit third-party app execution. No vendor-specific workaround beyond updating is provided in the supplied content.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the vendor-provided fixes by upgrading affected devices to tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, or visionOS 26.1, as applicable. Apple states the issue was addressed through improved memory handling.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

AppleIpadosoperating_system

AppleIphone Osoperating_system

AppleTvosoperating_system

AppleVisionosoperating_system

AppleWatchosoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

4 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

4 SOURCESView more in app

zdnet zero dayNews

Jan 24, 2026

About the security content of iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 - Apple Support

Memory handling issue that may allow an app to trigger system termination or corrupt kernel memory.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity3