Apple Patches Zero-Day Exploited in Sophisticated Attacks

Apple has issued urgent security updates to address a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-24200) that was exploited in highly targeted attacks.

The flaw affects the USB Restricted Mode, a feature designed to prevent unauthorized USB access on locked devices, which can be bypassed in these attacks. Apple confirmed the vulnerability was exploited against specific individuals in what it called "extremely sophisticated" operations. The issue impacts iPhones and iPads running iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1, and iPadOS 17.7.5, and is fixed with improved state management in the latest updates. Devices affected include the iPhone XS and newer, as well as various iPad models starting from the iPad Pro 2nd generation.

Apple advises users to install the patch immediately to protect against ongoing attacks, particularly in light of previous exploits against high-risk targets like journalists and dissidents.

This is the latest in a series of zero-day vulnerabilities Apple has fixed in 2024, reflecting the growing threat of sophisticated spyware.