Apple has pushed a security-only update for older devices: iOS 16.7.12 and iPadOS 16.7.12, released today (September 15, 2025). The update patches an ImageIO vulnerability (CVE-2025-43300) that could allow memory corruption when processing a malicious image. Apple says it’s aware of a report that this issue may have been used in an “extremely sophisticated” attack against specific, targeted individuals.
Who should update: iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad (5th gen), iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st gen).
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What Apple changed: The bug—an out-of-bounds write in ImageIO—was addressed with improved bounds checking.
What to do: If you’re on one of the supported devices, update now via Settings → General → Software Update. This update is separate from Apple’s newer iOS lines and is meant to keep legacy hardware protected.
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