CVE-2024-27804 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE • 05/14/2024
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5, macOS Sonoma 14.5, tvOS 17.5, visionOS 1.3, watchOS 10.5. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2026
This vulnerability represents a memory handling issue that could potentially lead to system instability through unexpected application termination. The flaw exists within Apple's operating systems and affects multiple platform versions including iOS 17.5, iPadOS 17.5, macOS Sonoma 14.5, tvOS 17.5, visionOS 1.3, and watchOS 10.5. The security patch addresses improper memory management practices that could be exploited by malicious applications to trigger system crashes or unexpected shutdowns. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a denial of service vulnerability that could be leveraged to disrupt normal system operations and potentially create opportunities for more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues that are commonly classified as CWE-129 or CWE-787 depending on the specific implementation details and exploitation vectors involved. The impact of such vulnerabilities extends beyond simple system crashes as they can provide attackers with footholds for more advanced persistent threats or serve as precursors to privilege escalation attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability suggests that applications may be able to manipulate memory allocation or deallocation processes in ways that cause the operating system kernel or critical system processes to terminate unexpectedly. This type of memory handling issue typically occurs when applications fail to properly validate memory boundaries or when the system fails to properly enforce memory access controls. The fix implemented by Apple involves enhanced memory management protocols that likely include improved bounds checking, better memory allocation validation, and strengthened memory protection mechanisms. These improvements align with industry best practices for preventing memory corruption vulnerabilities and are consistent with the defensive coding principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. The remediation approach demonstrates Apple's commitment to addressing memory safety issues through systematic improvements to their kernel and runtime memory management systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends to enterprise environments where iOS and macOS devices are extensively deployed for business operations. Organizations using Apple devices for critical infrastructure, mobile workforce management, or sensitive data processing could face disruptions if attackers successfully exploit this memory handling flaw. The potential for unexpected system termination creates risks for mission-critical applications and services that depend on stable device operation. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability could be exploited as part of a broader attack chain to establish persistence or to create conditions that facilitate more sophisticated exploitation techniques. The remediation process requires organizations to deploy updated operating system versions across their device fleets, which may involve significant coordination efforts and potential operational downtime. Security teams should prioritize this update as part of their vulnerability management programs, particularly in environments where mobile device security is critical for maintaining business continuity.
Organizations implementing security controls should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader threat landscape assessment and ensure that their incident response procedures account for potential system termination events that could be related to memory handling issues. The fix addresses fundamental memory management principles that are relevant to both mobile and desktop computing environments, making it important for organizations to maintain current operating system versions across all device types. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security updates and the need for continuous monitoring of vulnerability databases to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited in the wild. The remediation process demonstrates Apple's ongoing efforts to improve system security through proactive vulnerability management and represents a standard approach for addressing memory safety issues that aligns with industry standards and best practices established by organizations such as the Common Vulnerability Scoring System and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.