Apple has released emergency security updates to address a zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2025-24200, that has been actively exploited in targeted attacks against iPhone and iPad users.
The vulnerability allows attackers to disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device, potentially granting unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Apple is aware of reports that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals.
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The company addressed the vulnerability in iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1 with improved state management.
The zero-day vulnerability impacts the following devices:
- iPhone XS and later
- iPad Pro 13-inch
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (7th generation and later)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
USB Restricted Mode, a security feature introduced in 2018, is designed to prevent data transfer over USB if a device has been locked for more than an hour.
This feature aims to block unauthorized access and prevent law enforcement agencies from using forensic software to extract data from locked iOS devices. However, the recent vulnerability allows attackers to bypass this protection.
The discovery of the vulnerability is credited to Bill Marczak from Citizen Lab, a research group at the University of Toronto that focuses on cybersecurity. Citizen Lab has a history of uncovering sophisticated cyberattacks.
While specifics remain scarce, Apple identifies the flaw as a “physical attack” that could disable the USB Mode on a locked device.
Since the exploit necessitates physical access to the device, there are suspicions that it may have been integrated into hacking tools. This could potentially allow unauthorized parties to unlock and extract data from physically confiscated iPhones.
Apple has urged users to install the security updates immediately to block potential attack attempts. The updates, iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, address the CVE-2025-24200 vulnerability with improved state management.
Apple says it does not disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available.
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