CVE-2025-24216 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE • 04/01/2025
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in visionOS 2.4, tvOS 18.4, iPadOS 17.7.6, iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, Safari 18.4. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to an unexpected Safari crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2025
This vulnerability represents a memory handling issue that affects multiple Apple operating systems including visionOS, tvOS, iPadOS, iOS, and macOS Sequoia. The flaw manifests when Safari processes maliciously crafted web content, potentially leading to unexpected application crashes. The vulnerability was addressed through improved memory management techniques in the affected software versions. The issue demonstrates the ongoing challenge of memory safety in web browsers where malformed content can trigger memory corruption behaviors. Such vulnerabilities often arise from insufficient input validation or improper memory deallocation patterns that allow attackers to manipulate memory structures through carefully crafted web payloads.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common memory safety issues that fall under CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write operations. These classifications reflect the fundamental challenge of ensuring memory boundaries are properly enforced when processing untrusted web content. The vulnerability's impact is specifically targeted at Safari's web rendering engine, making it particularly concerning for users who frequently browse the internet. The fix implemented by Apple involves enhanced memory handling mechanisms that prevent the exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities through web content manipulation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to users who engage with potentially malicious websites or web applications. The crash behavior could be exploited in conjunction with other techniques to achieve more severe outcomes such as arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation. Attackers might leverage this issue in phishing campaigns or as part of multi-stage attack vectors where initial compromise occurs through web-based delivery mechanisms. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Apple devices and operating systems, making it particularly dangerous as it could impact users across different device types and platforms. Security teams should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader threat landscape analysis, particularly when evaluating browser-based attack surfaces.
The mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of the patched versions mentioned in the advisory. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected systems to prevent exploitation. The fix demonstrates Apple's ongoing commitment to addressing memory safety issues in their web browsers, though the vulnerability highlights the persistent challenges in ensuring comprehensive memory protection. Users should be educated about the importance of keeping their systems updated and should avoid visiting untrusted websites. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual Safari crash patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of sandboxing mechanisms and memory protection features in modern browsers. Organizations should implement network-based protections and web filtering solutions as additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of timely patch management and the need for continuous security monitoring in enterprise environments.