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Pierluigi Paganini@securityaffairs.com
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Apple has released details about a zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2025-43200, that was exploited by Paragon's Graphite spyware to hack at least two journalists' iPhones in Europe. The vulnerability was a zero-click flaw in iMessage, allowing attackers to compromise devices without any user interaction. Apple had quietly patched the flaw in iOS 18.3.1, which was released on February 10, but the details of the vulnerability were not publicized until recently.
The security advisory was updated four months after the initial iOS release to include the zero-day flaw, described as a logic issue when processing a maliciously crafted photo or video shared via an iCloud Link. Apple stated that they were aware of a report that this issue was exploited in an "extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals." Citizen Lab confirmed that this was the flaw used against Italian journalist Ciro Pellegrino and an unnamed "prominent" European journalist. Citizen Lab also confirmed that Paragon's Graphite spyware was used to hack the journalists' iPhones. This incident is part of a growing trend of mercenary spyware operators exploiting iOS through silent attack chains. The now-confirmed infections call into question a report by Italian lawmakers, which didn't mention one of the hacked journalists. It remains unclear why Apple did not disclose the existence of the patched flaw until four months after the release of the iOS update, and an Apple spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment seeking clarity. Recommended read:
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@felloai.com
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A new study by Apple researchers casts a shadow on the capabilities of cutting-edge artificial intelligence models, suggesting that their reasoning abilities may be fundamentally limited. The study, titled "The Illusion of Thinking: Understanding the Strengths and Limitations of Reasoning Models via the Lens of Problem Complexity," reveals that large reasoning models (LRMs) experience a 'complete accuracy collapse' when faced with complex problems. This challenges the widespread optimism surrounding the industry's race towards achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), the theoretical point at which AI can match human cognitive capabilities. The findings raise questions about the reliability and practicality of relying on AI systems for critical decision-making processes.
Apple's study involved testing LRMs, including models from OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google, using controlled puzzle environments to assess their problem-solving skills. These puzzles, such as Tower of Hanoi and River Crossing, were designed to evaluate planning, problem-solving, and compositional reasoning. The study found that while these models show improved performance on reasoning benchmarks for low-complexity tasks, their reasoning skills fall apart when tasks exceed a critical threshold. Researchers observed that as LRMs approached performance collapse, they began reducing their reasoning effort, a finding that Apple researchers found "particularly concerning." The implications of this research are significant for the future of AI development and integration. Gary Marcus, a prominent voice of caution on AI capabilities, described the Apple paper as "pretty devastating" and stated that it raises serious questions about the path towards AGI. This research also arrives amid increasing scrutiny surrounding Apple's AI development, with some alleging the company is lagging behind competitors. Nevertheless, Apple is betting on developers to address these shortcomings, opening up its local AI engine to third-party app developers via the Foundation Models framework to encourage the building of AI applications and address limitations. Recommended read:
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CyberNewswire@hackread.com
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SquareX has released new threat research highlighting a sophisticated Fullscreen Browser-in-the-Middle (BitM) attack that targets Apple Safari users. This attack exploits a flaw in the browser's Fullscreen API, allowing attackers to create a convincing fullscreen window that mimics a legitimate login page. By using a remote browser, victims are tricked into interacting with an attacker-controlled browser via a pop-up window, divulging credentials and other sensitive information, thinking they are using a regular browser window. Mandiant has highlighted the increasing use of BitM attacks to steal credentials and gain unauthorized access to enterprise SaaS apps.
The Safari-specific implementation flaw uses the Fullscreen API to create a BitM window in fullscreen mode, concealing the suspicious URL from the parent window. Safari users are particularly vulnerable due to the lack of clear visual indicators when entering fullscreen mode, making it difficult to distinguish between a legitimate page and a fake one. Attackers can easily embed a fake login button within the pop-up window that triggers the Fullscreen API upon being clicked. The current Fullscreen API requires user interaction to trigger fullscreen mode, but it does not specify the type of interaction required. SquareX disclosed this vulnerability to Apple, but they were informed that there is no plan to address the issue. According to SquareX researchers, the Fullscreen BitM attack highlights architectural and design flaws in browser APIs, specifically the Fullscreen API. They emphasized that users could unknowingly click on a fake button and trigger a fullscreen BitM window, especially in Safari, where the lack of clear fullscreen mode cues allows threat actors to steal user credentials stealthily. This exploit renders existing security solutions obsolete when it comes to detecting this type of BitM attack. Recommended read:
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@The DefendOps Diaries
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Millions of Apple AirPlay-enabled devices are at risk due to the discovery of 23 critical vulnerabilities, collectively named "AirBorne." These vulnerabilities, found in Apple's AirPlay protocol and Software Development Kit (SDK), could allow attackers on the same Wi-Fi network to remotely execute code on vulnerable devices. This poses a significant threat, particularly to third-party devices that incorporate AirPlay, such as smart TVs, speakers, and CarPlay systems.
The vulnerabilities stem from flaws in Apple's implementation of the AirPlay protocol and SDK, which is used for streaming media between devices. A successful exploit could lead to zero-click or one-click remote code execution, bypassing access controls, and conducting man-in-the-middle attacks. This could enable attackers to take over devices, access sensitive files, and potentially steal data. Apple has released patches to address the AirBorne vulnerabilities in its own products, including iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Apple TVs, and the Vision Pro headset, however devices that use the software from third parties are still at risk. However, the potential for unpatched third-party devices to remain vulnerable for years is a major concern. Cybersecurity experts estimate that tens of millions of devices could be affected, highlighting the far-reaching impact of these newly discovered flaws. Recommended read:
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@www.bleepingcomputer.com
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Apple has released emergency security updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS Sequoia, tvOS, and visionOS to address two zero-day vulnerabilities that have been actively exploited in "extremely sophisticated attacks." The vulnerabilities, CVE-2025-31200 and CVE-2025-31201, affect the CoreAudio and RPAC components respectively, posing significant risks to users. Apple is urging users to immediately update their devices to the latest versions to safeguard against these threats.
These vulnerabilities were actively exploited in the wild, prompting Apple to release iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1. CVE-2025-31200, a memory corruption vulnerability in the CoreAudio framework, could allow code execution when processing a maliciously crafted media file. Apple addressed this with improved bounds checking. The second flaw, CVE-2025-31201, is a vulnerability in the RPAC component that could allow an attacker to bypass Pointer Authentication, and Apple resolved this by removing the vulnerable code. The updates are available for a wide range of devices, including iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 13.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later, as well as Macs running macOS Sequoia, Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (all models), and Apple Vision Pro. Apple credited both itself and Google Threat Analysis Group (TAG) for reporting CVE-2025-31200. This highlights the importance of prompt updates to mitigate potential risks. Recommended read:
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Bill Mann@CyberInsider
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Apple has released a series of critical security updates for its operating systems, including iOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4. These updates address a total of 145 vulnerabilities, including several zero-day exploits that may have been actively exploited. Users of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, Safari, and Xcode are urged to update their devices immediately to safeguard against potential security threats. Notably, watchOS was missing from this patch lineup.
Apple pushed emergency updates targeting three zero-day vulnerabilities identified as CVE-2025-24200 (Accessibility) and CVE-2025-24201 (WebKit). These patches have been backported to older iOS and iPadOS versions, specifically 15.8.4 and 16.7.11, ensuring that users on older devices are also protected from these actively exploited flaws. The updates include fixes for bugs in WebKit, Siri, Safari, and libxpc, along with numerous other security enhancements, underscoring Apple's commitment to addressing security vulnerabilities across its product ecosystem. Recommended read:
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Pierluigi Paganini@Security Affairs
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Apple released a substantial set of security updates on March 31st, 2025, addressing a total of 145 vulnerabilities across its product ecosystem, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, Safari, and Xcode. Notably absent from this update was watchOS. The updates included backported fixes for three actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities, specifically targeting older iOS and iPadOS versions. These vulnerabilities had already been addressed in more recent versions a few weeks prior.
The most critical fix is for CVE-2025-24200, a vulnerability that allowed attackers to bypass USB Restricted Mode. This feature, introduced in 2018 to protect locked iDevices, could be disabled, potentially exposing user data. Another significant fix addresses CVE-2025-24201, a flaw in the WebKit engine that allowed malicious web content to escape Safari's sandbox. Additionally, macOS Ventura received a patch for CVE-2025-24085, a privilege escalation vulnerability in CoreMedia. These updates are now available for iOS versions 16.7.11 and 15.8.4, iPadOS versions 16.7.11 and 15.8.4, and macOS Ventura 13.7.5. Recommended read:
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Pierluigi Paganini@Security Affairs
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Apple has released security updates to address actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities impacting older iPhones and Macs. The patches aim to fix flaws that could allow malicious actors to elevate privileges or execute arbitrary code on affected devices. These updates address CVE-2025-24200, CVE-2025-24201, and CVE-2025-24085, and are now available for iOS 15.8.4, iPadOS 15.8.4, iOS 16.7.11, iPadOS 16.7.11, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, and macOS Ventura 13.7.5.
The vulnerabilities include a use-after-free bug in the Core Media component (CVE-2025-24085), an authorization issue in the Accessibility component (CVE-2025-24200), and an out-of-bounds write issue in the WebKit component (CVE-2025-24201). Apple addressed the flaw in iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1, and 17.7.5, released on February 10, 2025. CVE-2025-24200 specifically allowed attackers with physical access to locked devices to disable USB Restricted Mode. Users of older devices, including iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone X, iPad Air 2, and various iPad Pro models, are urged to update their systems to safeguard against potential threats. Recommended read:
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