CVE-2025-24158 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in visionOS 2.3, Safari 18.3, iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, tvOS 18.3. Processing web content may lead to a denial-of-service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2025
This vulnerability represents a memory handling flaw that affects multiple Apple operating systems including visionOS, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. The issue was resolved through enhanced memory management protocols in versions 2.3, 18.3, 15.3, 11.3, and 18.3 respectively. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing web content, creating conditions that can result in system denial-of-service scenarios. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a critical weakness in Apple's web rendering engines that could potentially be exploited to disrupt normal system operations. The flaw falls under the category of memory corruption vulnerabilities that are commonly classified as CWE-129 or CWE-787 depending on the specific implementation details.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves improper memory handling during web content processing, which can lead to memory exhaustion or corruption states. When web content is rendered, the system allocates memory resources to process various elements including scripts, images, and multimedia components. The flaw occurs in how these memory allocations are managed, potentially allowing malicious or malformed web content to trigger unexpected behavior. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script-based attacks and T1499.004 for denial-of-service attacks. The memory handling issue likely involves buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or improper memory deallocation that can be triggered through carefully crafted web content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across Apple's entire ecosystem, affecting users of mobile devices, desktop computers, and wearable technology. A successful exploitation could result in complete system crashes, application hangs, or forced restarts that disrupt user productivity and system availability. Organizations relying on Apple devices for business operations may experience service interruptions, particularly in environments where web browsing is frequent. The vulnerability's presence across multiple platforms suggests a fundamental flaw in Apple's web rendering architecture that affects both mobile and desktop environments. Users may experience unexpected application crashes or system instability when visiting malicious websites or encountering compromised web content.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate deployment of the patched versions across all affected platforms. System administrators should implement mandatory update policies for all Apple devices within their networks, particularly focusing on endpoints that frequently access web content. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect unusual patterns of system crashes or restarts that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing web filtering solutions and sandboxing techniques to limit the potential impact of malicious web content. The fix addresses the root cause through improved memory management, which aligns with industry best practices for preventing memory-related vulnerabilities. Organizations should conduct vulnerability assessments to ensure complete patch deployment and monitor for any indicators of attempted exploitation through threat intelligence feeds and security event monitoring systems.