CVE-2025-31205 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE • 05/13/2025
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in watchOS 11.5, tvOS 18.5, iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, visionOS 2.5, Safari 18.5. A malicious website may exfiltrate data cross-origin.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-31205 represents a cross-origin data exfiltration risk that was successfully mitigated through enhanced validation mechanisms. This security flaw affected multiple Apple operating systems including watchOS 11.5, tvOS 18.5, iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, visionOS 2.5, and Safari 18.5. The issue stems from insufficient safeguards that allowed malicious web entities to bypass standard cross-origin resource sharing restrictions and extract sensitive data from different origins without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically targeted the browser's security model and could be exploited through malicious websites that leveraged sophisticated techniques to circumvent origin-based access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the browser's security sandboxing mechanisms, where proper validation of cross-origin requests was inadequate. This weakness aligns with common web security patterns described in CWE-942, which addresses overly permissive cross-origin resource sharing policies that can lead to data leakage. The flaw likely involved improper handling of HTTP headers or JavaScript APIs that control cross-origin communication, allowing malicious actors to construct requests that would otherwise be blocked by standard security measures. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious web pages that attempt to access resources from different origins while bypassing the same-origin policy enforcement mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exfiltration, as it represents a significant breach in the fundamental security model that protects user privacy and data integrity across web applications. Organizations and individuals using affected Apple platforms faced potential exposure to unauthorized data access, particularly when visiting malicious websites or encountering compromised web content. The cross-origin nature of the vulnerability means that attackers could potentially access sensitive information from multiple domains simultaneously, amplifying the potential damage. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the security posture of Apple's ecosystem and could enable more sophisticated attacks including credential theft, session hijacking, or corporate data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-31205 primarily involve deploying the patched versions of affected operating systems and browsers as recommended by Apple. System administrators should prioritize updating all affected devices to the latest versions including watchOS 11.5, tvOS 18.5, iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, visionOS 2.5, and Safari 18.5. The fix implemented by Apple addresses the root cause through enhanced validation checks that properly enforce cross-origin resource sharing policies. Organizations should also consider implementing additional network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to provide defense-in-depth against similar threats. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual cross-origin activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for credential access through malicious websites and T1071.001 for application layer protocol usage. Regular security assessments of web applications and browser configurations should be conducted to ensure proper enforcement of security policies and prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in custom web applications or third-party software components.