Medium

Activation Lock bypass in iTunes Store path handling

IdentifiersCVE-2025-43534CWE-22

CVE-2025-43534 is an Apple iTunes Store component vulnerability affecting iOS and iPadOS in which improper path handling could allow Activation Lock to be bypassed. Apple describes the issue as a path handling flaw that was addressed through improved validation. The vulnerability is fixed in iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7, and in iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. Based on the available information, the flaw involves insufficient validation of filesystem or directory path handling in a code path related to Activation Lock enforcement, enabling a local physical attacker to circumvent that protection.

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 person with physical access to a vulnerable iPhone or iPad to bypass Activation Lock. This undermines a core anti-theft and device ownership protection mechanism and could permit unauthorized access to or reuse of a locked device that should remain bound to the legitimate owner's Apple account.

Mitigation

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

No vendor mitigation short of patching is described in the provided content. Practical risk reduction is to maintain physical control of devices and update promptly to a fixed OS release. If a device cannot be updated immediately, limiting opportunities for unauthorized physical access is the primary mitigation based on the available information.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply Apple's fixes by upgrading affected devices to iOS 18.7.7 or iPadOS 18.7.7, or to iOS 26.2 / iPadOS 26.2 or later. Apple states the issue was resolved with improved validation.

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

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

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

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

3 SOURCESView more in app

cyber security newsNews

Apr 2, 2026

Apple Expands iOS 18.7.7 Update to More Devices to Shield Users from DarkSword Exploit

An iTunes Store path handling flaw that could allow physical-access bypass of Activation Lock.

apple supportNews

Apr 1, 2026

About the security content of iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7 - Apple Support

A path handling issue that may allow a physically present attacker to bypass Activation Lock.

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 malware1

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 activity1