Apple Patches 0-Day Vulnerabilities in Older iPhones and iPads

Apple has released critical security updates for older iPhone and iPad models after a zero-day vulnerability was reportedly exploited in targeted attacks. The updates for iOS 16.7.12 and iPadOS 16.7.12, issued on 15 September 2025, address a flaw tracked as CVE-2025-43300 that affects the ImageIO framework. Apple says the issue “may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals,” underscoring the precision of the attacks.

The vulnerability stems from an out-of-bounds memory write in ImageIO, which could allow a malicious image file to trigger memory corruption and enable arbitrary code execution or unauthorized system access. Affected devices include iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad 5th generation, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 1st generation, with these older models continuing to receive security patches through Apple’s extended support programme. Users are advised to install the security updates via the Settings app under General > Software Update to ensure protection against active exploitation.