Overview
Recently, a critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-31229, has been discovered in iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6. This vulnerability pertains to a logic issue that could potentially allow unauthorized users to gain access to the device passcode through VoiceOver functionality. Due to its severe implications, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of user data, and as such, it requires immediate attention and mitigation. This blog post aims to provide a detailed analysis of this vulnerability, its potential impact, and how it can be mitigated.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-31229
Severity: Critical (CVSS score: 9.1)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
iOS | 18.6
iPadOS | 18.6
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability arises due to a logic flaw in the system’s security checks. Specifically, when a user enables the VoiceOver feature (used to read out screen content for visually impaired users), the system does not adequately secure the passcode input process. As a result, an attacker with physical access to the device can trigger VoiceOver to read aloud the passcode as the user types, thereby gaining unauthorized access to the system.
Conceptual Example Code
Given the nature of this vulnerability, the exploit does not involve any typical code or HTTP request, but rather manipulates the device’s accessibility features. However, a conceptual example of the exploit process could look like this:
# User enables VoiceOver
$ Enable VoiceOver
# Attacker triggers undisclosed method to intercept passcode
$ Trigger VoiceOver Passcode Interception
# Attacker listens for passcode
$ Listen for Passcode
# Passcode is read out
$ Passcode: "1234"Please note that this is a simplified representation of the exploit process and does not represent an actual shell command sequence.
Mitigation Guidance
The most effective mitigation for this vulnerability is to apply the vendor patch provided by Apple, which addresses the logic issue and ensures that the passcode is no longer read aloud by VoiceOver. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. However, these are not long-term solutions and do not fully resolve the vulnerability. Users are strongly recommended to update their devices to the latest software version to secure their data and prevent potential exploits.