Apple Releases Urgent Security Patch for Sophisticated iPhone Attacks

Introduction to Apple’s Latest Security Measures

Apple has swiftly rolled out security updates to remediate two critical zero-day vulnerabilities that were manipulated in highly sophisticated attacks targeting iPhone users.

Detailed Overview of the Vulnerabilities

The issues, identified within CoreAudio (CVE-2025-31200) and RPAC (CVE-2025-31201), pose risks across multiple Apple platforms, including iOS, macOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and visionOS.

In a recent security bulletin, Apple acknowledged the exploitation of these vulnerabilities, stating the attacks were highly targeted and elaborate, affecting a select group of individuals.

The Nature of the Exploits

The CVE-2025-31200 flaw involves a maliciously crafted media file that, when processed, could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on the affected device. This vulnerability was uncovered by contributions from both Apple and the Google Threat Analysis team.

Additionally, CVE-2025-31201 was discovered by Apple. This vulnerability within RPAC allows attackers to bypass Pointer Authentication—a crucial iOS security feature designed to protect memory integrity—provided they have read or write access.

Response and Fixes Implemented by Apple

While specifics on the attack methodologies remain undisclosed, Apple has effectively patched these vulnerabilities in recent updates, detailed below:

• iOS 18.4.1
• iPadOS 18.4.1
• macOS Sequoia 15.4.1
• tvOS 18.4.1
• visionOS 2.4.1

Impacted Devices

The scope of affected devices is broad, impacting both older and newer models:

• iPhone XS and newer models
• iPad and iPad Pro models (various generations)
• macOS Sequoia
• Both Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K versions
• Apple Vision Pro

Despite the attacks being highly targeted, all users of these devices are strongly advised to update their systems immediately to avoid potential exploits.

Proactive Security Measures

This recent patch adds to the tally of five zero-day vulnerabilities that Apple has addressed since the beginning of the year, underscoring the company’s commitment to user security.