CVE-2025-24237
📋 TL;DR
A buffer overflow vulnerability in Apple operating systems allows malicious apps to cause system crashes or potentially execute arbitrary code. This affects visionOS, macOS, iOS, and iPadOS users running outdated versions. The vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking that can be exploited to trigger unexpected system termination.
💻 Affected Systems
- visionOS
- macOS
- iOS
- iPadOS
📦 What is this software?
Ipados by Apple
Ipados by Apple
Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or persistent malware installation.
Likely Case
Application-induced system crashes (denial of service) disrupting user productivity and system availability.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper application sandboxing and security controls preventing exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires malicious application installation. No public exploit code available at disclosure time. Buffer overflow exploitation typically requires specific memory manipulation knowledge.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: visionOS 2.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, iPadOS 17.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/122371
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Settings app. 2. Navigate to General > Software Update. 3. Download and install the latest available update. 4. Restart device when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Application Restriction
allRestrict installation of untrusted applications to reduce attack surface.
For macOS: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Allow apps downloaded from: App Store
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized app execution
- Enable full disk encryption and regular backups to mitigate potential data loss from system crashes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check current OS version against affected versions list. For macOS: System Settings > General > About. For iOS/iPadOS: Settings > General > About.Check Version:
macOS: sw_vers -productVersion, iOS/iPadOS: Settings > General > About > VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify OS version matches or exceeds patched versions listed in fix_official section.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected application crashes
- System panic/kernel logs indicating memory corruption
- Console logs showing buffer overflow errors
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from recently installed applications
- Traffic to known malicious app distribution sites
SIEM Query:
source="apple_system_logs" AND ("panic" OR "kernel" OR "segmentation fault") AND NOT process="legitimate_system_process"🔗 References
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122371
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122372
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122373
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122374
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122375
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122378
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Apr/10
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Apr/12
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Apr/13
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Apr/4
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Apr/5
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Apr/8
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Apr/9
