CVE-2025-24156 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
An integer overflow was addressed through improved input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3. An app may be able to elevate privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical integer overflow condition that could potentially enable privilege escalation attacks within Apple's macOS operating system. The flaw exists in the system's input validation mechanisms, where improper handling of numerical inputs allows for arithmetic overflow conditions that can be exploited by malicious applications. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of macOS including Ventura 13.7.3, Sequoia 15.3, and Sonoma 14.7.3, indicating it was a widespread issue across the operating system's architecture. Integer overflow vulnerabilities typically occur when a program attempts to store a value that exceeds the maximum limit of the data type being used, creating unpredictable behavior that attackers can manipulate for malicious purposes. This specific issue falls under the CWE-190 category of Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which is classified as a serious weakness that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The privilege escalation aspect of this vulnerability means that an application with standard user privileges could potentially gain elevated system-level access, fundamentally compromising the operating system's security model. Attackers could exploit this condition by crafting inputs that trigger the overflow, potentially leading to kernel-level access or other high-privilege operations. The fix implemented in the patched versions demonstrates Apple's recognition of the severity of this issue, as integer overflows that can be leveraged for privilege escalation are typically treated as critical security concerns. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to macOS systems where applications may be able to bypass standard security boundaries through manipulation of input data. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of software vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges. The remediation through improved input validation suggests that the underlying issue was in how the system handled numerical input validation, particularly in contexts where integer arithmetic operations could occur without proper bounds checking. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems as soon as possible, as the window of opportunity for exploitation remains open until the security update is applied. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation and proper handling of arithmetic operations in system-level code, particularly in operating system components that handle user input or process data from external sources. This type of vulnerability can have cascading effects on system security, potentially enabling attackers to establish persistent access or execute additional malicious payloads once elevated privileges are obtained. The fact that this issue was addressed in multiple major macOS releases indicates it was a fundamental flaw in the system's core security architecture that required coordinated remediation across different versions of the operating system.