CVE-2024-23252 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 03/08/2024
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in Safari 17.4, iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4, macOS Sonoma 14.4. Processing web content may lead to a denial-of-service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2026
This vulnerability represents a memory handling flaw that affects Apple's web browsing environment across multiple platforms including Safari 17.4, iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, and macOS Sonoma 14.4. The issue stems from insufficient memory management during web content processing operations, creating potential pathways for denial-of-service conditions that could disrupt normal browser functionality. When users encounter malicious or malformed web content, the improper memory handling can cause the browser to crash or become unresponsive, effectively denying service to legitimate users who attempt to access web resources.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses related to memory corruption and resource management failures. While specific CWE classification isn't provided in the description, such issues typically fall under categories related to improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes. The flaw demonstrates how inadequate memory management can create exploitable conditions where malicious web content could trigger unexpected behavior in the browser's rendering engine or associated processing components.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for end users who rely on Safari for daily browsing activities. The denial-of-service condition could manifest as complete browser crashes, application hangs, or forced restarts that interrupt user workflows and productivity. Organizations using Apple devices for business operations face potential disruptions when employees encounter compromised web content that triggers these memory handling issues. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of web browsing and could potentially be exploited in targeted attacks where adversaries craft specific web pages designed to trigger the memory handling failure.
Security professionals should note that this issue demonstrates the importance of proper resource management in browser environments, particularly when processing untrusted web content. The fix implemented by Apple addresses the underlying memory handling mechanisms to prevent the conditions that previously led to denial-of-service scenarios. Organizations should prioritize updating affected systems to the patched versions mentioned in the release notes, as these updates contain necessary mitigations for the identified memory handling flaws. The remediation approach focuses on strengthening the browser's ability to properly allocate, manage, and release memory resources during web content processing operations, thereby preventing exploitation of the vulnerability through malicious web content.
This vulnerability type relates to broader security concepts found in the ATT&CK framework under the category of application layer attacks where adversaries manipulate applications to cause unintended behavior. The memory handling improvements represent defensive measures against resource exhaustion and process corruption that could lead to more severe system compromise if exploited further. Security teams should monitor for any related exploitation attempts or variant vulnerabilities that might emerge from similar memory management flaws in web browsers, as these issues often indicate underlying architectural concerns that require comprehensive review and remediation across affected software components.