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Mallory
Medium

Sensitive user data exposure in Apple Screen Time logging

IdentifiersCVE-2025-43538CWE-532· Insertion of Sensitive Information…

CVE-2025-43538 is an information disclosure vulnerability in Apple Screen Time caused by a logging issue with insufficient redaction of sensitive data. Apple states that the issue was addressed through improved data redaction. The flaw affects Screen Time on Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Successful exploitation could allow an application to access sensitive user data that was improperly exposed through logs. Available context identifies this as a Screen Time logging flaw and does not support the unrelated XML/XPath injection mention.

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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.

An attacker controlling or operating a local app on an affected device may be able to obtain sensitive user data exposed through Screen Time-related logs. The primary impact is confidentiality loss. Supporting context indicates this may include user data and is associated with broader reporting of Screen Time logging flaws that could expose browsing-related information such as Safari history in related cases, though for CVE-2025-43538 Apple specifically describes the impact as access to sensitive user data.

Mitigation

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

Until patches can be applied, reduce exposure by limiting installation and execution of untrusted or unnecessary apps on affected devices, especially those that may be able to access or harvest local diagnostic or application log data. Minimize app permissions and use managed-device controls where available. However, no complete mitigation is provided in the available information; vendor patching is the definitive fix.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the vendor fixes released by Apple. Apple states the issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3, iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.3, macOS Tahoe 26.2, visionOS 26.2, and watchOS 26.2. Upgrade affected devices to the appropriate patched OS version or later.
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
AppleMacosoperating_system

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

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.
Exposure mapping

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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 activity6

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.