Medium

Symlink validation flaw in AppleMobileFileIntegrity allowing access to protected user data

IdentifiersCVE-2025-43379CWE-59· Improper Link Resolution Before…

CVE-2025-43379 is a symlink-handling vulnerability in AppleMobileFileIntegrity. Apple states the issue was addressed with improved validation of symlinks. A malicious app could exploit improper symlink validation to cause the affected component to follow or trust a symlinked path in a way that bypasses intended file access protections, resulting in access to protected user data. The issue affected multiple Apple platforms, including iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 before the fix, macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and watchOS 26.1.

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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 allows an app to access protected user data that should not be available under normal platform security controls. Based on Apple's advisory language, the primary impact is confidentiality loss rather than code execution or privilege escalation. On affected systems, this could enable unauthorized reading of protected files or data reachable through symlink abuse in the vulnerable file-integrity or path-validation workflow.

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, especially on affected Apple platforms. Enforce application allowlisting/MDM controls where available, minimize app access to sensitive data stores, and monitor for anomalous file-access behavior involving symlinked paths. However, no complete vendor-provided workaround is available in the supplied content; patching is the definitive mitigation.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the vendor fixes provided by Apple: iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, visionOS 26.1, and watchOS 26.1 or later. Apple indicates the issue was remediated through improved validation of symlinks.

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

AppleMacosoperating_system

AppleTvosoperating_system

AppleVisionosoperating_system

AppleWatchosoperating_system

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

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

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

7 SOURCESView more in app

zdnet zero dayNews

Jan 24, 2026

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

Symlink validation weakness that may allow an app to access protected user data.

apple supportNews

Dec 12, 2025

About the security content of macOS Sequoia 15.7.2 - Apple Support

A macOS Sequoia symlink validation issue that may allow an app to access protected user data.

What this page doesn’t show

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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 activity5