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We rightly or wrongly assume that our devices are secure and that Apple’s famed “walled garden” keeps us safe.
But in reality, every Apple device security update tells a hidden story: a race between hackers and engineers, between exploitation and protection.
Apple has once again issued a critical security update, this time for CVE-2025-24085, a Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability in the Core Media framework.
If exploited, it allows a malicious app to gain elevated privileges, potentially giving hackers deep access to an iPhone or iPad.
Apple has confirmed that the vulnerability has been used in the wild, which means that someone somewhere has already been targeted.
Techopedia explores Apple’s latest bugfix and uses it to tell the tale of hackers vs security teams. Someone will always win — hopefully, it’s the team that stops you from losing.
Key Takeaways
- CVE-2025-24085 exploit enables privilege escalation, putting millions of iPhones, iPads, and Macs at risk from active cyber threats.
- Zero-day exploits are highly valuable, selling for up to $10 million, making them prime targets for hackers, intelligence agencies, and cybercriminals.
- Vulnerabilities are often exploited by attackers before patches are released, impacting users.
- Users must update immediately, as delayed software updates leave devices vulnerable to real-world attacks already in circulation.
- The most significant difficulty for companies is forcing corporate devices to meet updated schedules as a preventive measure against data breaches.
The $10M Price of a Bug
According to Digital Shadows’ Photon Research Team (PDF), a zero-day exploit can sell for up to $10 million. This is the price for a weapon that can infiltrate the devices we trust most and one that intelligence agencies such as the UK government covet.
The latest Apple Zero-Day Vulnerability, CVE-2025-24085, is another chapter in this ongoing story.
A look at search trends shows that interest in Apple device security and iOS security updates spikes dramatically whenever a zero-day exploit is revealed. Searches for ‘how to update iOS for security’ have surged, especially after this latest vulnerability was revealed.
What does this tell us?
- Users are becoming more aware, but often only after a crisis.
- Apple’s security updates are reactive, meaning hackers are often one step ahead.
- Businesses struggle with cybersecurity, as they must ensure employees update devices before an exploit spreads.
The price of zero-day exploits has skyrocketed because they are harder to find and more valuable than ever.
This means that when Apple issues a zero-day vulnerability patch, it’s not just fixing a bug; it’s closing a multimillion-dollar loophole that hackers, governments, and cybercriminals are eager to exploit.
Why Apple’s Bugfix for iPhones & iPads Is a Big Deal
So, what exactly did Apple patch?
The CVE-2025-24085 security update fixes a Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability in the Core Media framework. If exploited, this flaw could allow attackers to elevate privileges, giving them deep access to the device. Apple has confirmed that this vulnerability has been actively exploited in previous iOS versions before iOS 17.2.
Apple has also patched CVE-2025-24200, a flaw that allowed attackers to disable USB Restricted Mode on locked iPhones and iPads.
Here’s why this is significant: Millions of Apple devices are at risk, including:
iPhones: iPhone XS and later models.
iPads: 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), and iPad mini (5th generation and later).
Macs: macOS Sequoia.
Apple Watches: Apple Watch Series 6 and later.
Apple TVs: Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (all models).
The exploit is even more significant, considering the exploit is already in the wild, meaning hackers used it before Apple could fix it. It’s not just theoretical — this isn’t a vulnerability discovered in a lab. It’s been weaponized.
Apple’s fix, released in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, improves memory and state management and closes the loophole. However, the real question is how many users will update their devices in time.
Our Digital Security is in Big Tech’s Hands
In 2016 a Human Rights activist in the UAE received a suspicious text message promising information about detainees in exchange for “clicking on a link”.
Instead of clicking, he sent the message to cybersecurity researchers, who discovered a highly sophisticated zero-day exploit that could silently take over an iPhone without the user’s knowledge.
That moment exposed NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, which had been secretly used to spy on journalists, activists, and political figures worldwide.
So, if you’re reading this on an iPhone or iPad, do yourself a favor: update your device now. Because somewhere, a hacker is looking for the next zero-day exploit to sell for $10 million. And we’ll only hear about it after it’s already been used.
The Bottom Line
We trust Apple, Google, and Microsoft to keep us safe. And they do a good job most of the time. But when they fail, when a vulnerability of this kind is discovered, it reveals how insecure our security is.
Every postponed iPhone update leaves your digital life exposed to hidden threats.
Ask yourself: Is your iPhone updated right now? Because in cybersecurity, tomorrow’s protection might be too late.
FAQs
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References
- Vulnerability Intelligence: Do You Know Where Your Flaws Are? (PDF) (Content Сdntwrk)
