CVE-2025-24118 in iPadOS
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or write kernel memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2025
This vulnerability represents a memory handling flaw that could enable malicious applications to trigger unexpected system termination or potentially write to kernel memory regions. The issue was specifically addressed through enhanced memory management protocols within the affected operating systems. The vulnerability affects iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, indicating a widespread impact across Apple's ecosystem. The technical nature of this flaw suggests a potential buffer overflow or memory corruption vulnerability that could be exploited by malicious applications to gain elevated privileges or cause system instability. Such vulnerabilities typically fall under the category of memory safety issues that can lead to privilege escalation or denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as the ability to write to kernel memory represents a serious security concern that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it could enable attackers to bypass security mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to critical system resources. The fix implemented in the updated operating systems likely involves improved memory allocation checks, bounds verification, or heap management protocols that prevent the exploitation of memory handling flaws. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in preventing privilege escalation attacks that could compromise entire systems.
The remediation approach taken by Apple addresses fundamental memory safety issues that align with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-121, which deals with stack-based buffer overflows, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflows. These vulnerabilities often map to ATT&CK techniques under T1068, which involves exploit for privilege escalation, and T1499, which covers network denial of service. Organizations should prioritize updating affected systems to the patched versions immediately, as the vulnerability could be actively exploited in the wild. The fix represents a defensive measure that strengthens the kernel's memory management capabilities, making it more difficult for malicious applications to manipulate memory regions and gain unauthorized system access. Security teams should monitor for any indicators of exploitation attempts and ensure that all endpoints are properly patched to mitigate this potential threat vector.