CVE-2025-31197
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows an attacker on the same local network to cause unexpected application termination (denial of service) on affected Apple devices. It affects multiple Apple operating systems including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and visionOS. The issue stems from a use-after-free memory error (CWE-416) that was addressed with improved checks.
💻 Affected Systems
- macOS
- iOS
- iPadOS
- tvOS
- visionOS
📦 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 →Tvos by Apple
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker could repeatedly crash critical applications or services, causing persistent denial of service and potential data loss if applications crash during operations.
Likely Case
Temporary disruption of applications or services, requiring user intervention to restart affected applications.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and updated systems; isolated to non-critical applications.
🎯 Exploit Status
Apple has not disclosed technical details about the exploit mechanism. The CWE-416 (Use After Free) suggests memory corruption that could be triggered via network packets.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sequoia 15.4, tvOS 18.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, iPadOS 17.7.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/122371
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings (macOS) or Settings (iOS/iPadOS). 2. Navigate to General > Software Update. 3. Install the available update for your specific OS version. 4. Restart the device when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate vulnerable devices from untrusted networks to prevent local network attackers from reaching them.
Disable Unnecessary Network Services
allTurn off network services that are not required to reduce attack surface.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate vulnerable devices from potential attackers.
- Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check your current OS version against the patched versions listed in the affected systems section.Check Version:
macOS: sw_vers -productVersion; iOS/iPadOS: Settings > General > About > Version; tvOS: Settings > General > About > Version; visionOS: Settings > General > About > Software VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify that your OS version matches or exceeds the patched version numbers provided by Apple.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected application crashes or terminations in system logs
- Error messages related to memory corruption or use-after-free
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic patterns from local network sources to Apple devices
- Packets triggering application crashes
SIEM Query:
source="apple_system_logs" AND (event="application_crash" OR event="process_termination") AND dest_os IN ("macOS", "iOS", "iPadOS", "tvOS", "visionOS")