CVE-2025-24149 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting various Apple operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. This vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit an out-of-bounds read issue, which could lead to the disclosure of sensitive user information. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.5, indicating a moderate level of threat to organizations. Given the widespread use of these operating systems, this vulnerability poses a significant risk.
The vulnerability was published on January 27, 2025, and affects multiple versions of Apple's operating systems, with fixes available in the latest updates. Organizations utilizing these systems should prioritize the implementation of the respective patches to mitigate any potential risk.
Risk to organizations includes potential unauthorized access to user data, which can have serious implications for privacy and security. As such, organizations should address this vulnerability in their patch management processes to reduce exposure.
Currently, there are no known exploits or proofs of concept publicly available for this vulnerability. However, given the nature of the issue, organizations should remain vigilant and monitor for any emerging threats.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability is characterized as an out-of-bounds read, which has been addressed with improved bounds checking in the affected operating systems. The issue is fixed in iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, macOS Ventura 13.7.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, and watchOS 11.3. This flaw falls under CWE-125, which pertains to out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities.
The CVSS score of 5.5 indicates a medium severity level, with specific parameters showing a low attack complexity, no privileges required, and user interaction required for exploitation. The confidentiality impact is rated high, while integrity and availability impacts are rated none.
This vulnerability affects several products, including iPadOS, iPhone OS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS from Apple.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the inadequate bounds checking when parsing files. By exploiting this flaw, attackers may gain access to sensitive user information through an out-of-bounds read.
The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to have local access to exploit the vulnerability. The attack complexity is low, as it does not necessitate any special conditions beyond user interaction. No privileges are required to exploit the vulnerability.
User interaction is required, as the target must open or interact with a maliciously crafted file for the exploit to be successful. The confidentiality impact is high, indicating a significant potential for sensitive information disclosure, while integrity and availability impacts are rated as none.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The risk to organizations includes the potential for unauthorized access to confidential user information, which can lead to data breaches and privacy violations. The blast radius is significant, considering the widespread use of Apple's operating systems across various sectors.
Organizations should assess their deployment of affected systems and prioritize patching based on the severity of the vulnerability and its implications. Given the risk associated with a high confidentiality impact, immediate action is warranted.
The urgency for remediation is categorized as medium, as organizations need to address this vulnerability in their patching cycles to mitigate risks effectively.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
Affected versions include iPadOS versions prior to 18.3 and 17.7.4, iPhone OS versions prior to 18.3, macOS versions prior to 13.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, tvOS versions prior to 18.3, visionOS versions prior to 2.3, and watchOS versions prior to 11.3.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should ensure that all affected systems are updated to the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS to mitigate this vulnerability. The following versions address the vulnerability: iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, macOS Ventura 13.7.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, and watchOS 11.3.
Additionally, organizations should implement configuration hardening and network controls to further protect against potential exploitation. Continuous monitoring of log indicators and behavioral anomalies is also recommended.
For comprehensive security assessments, organizations may consider engaging in penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor for log indicators related to file parsing activities that may reveal unauthorized access attempts. Behavioral anomalies, such as unexpected application crashes or unusual file access patterns, should also be scrutinized.
Network signatures that detect suspicious file types or unexpected interactions with user data may aid in early detection of attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2025-24149 lies in the ongoing threat posed by vulnerabilities that allow unauthorized access to user information. This pattern of vulnerabilities highlights the importance of robust security measures in the software development lifecycle.
Security teams should take lessons from this incident to improve their vulnerability management programs, ensuring that similar weaknesses are proactively identified and remediated in future software releases.
The strategic defensive takeaway is to prioritize comprehensive security assessments, ensuring that all systems are regularly updated and that vulnerabilities are swiftly addressed.
For further insights, organizations might explore relevant topics through our resources such as the vulnerability management program design and the penetration testing methodology to enhance their security posture.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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