The issue was addressed with improved checks. This vulnerability allows parsing a file which may lead to an unexpected app termination. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 4.3, categorizing it as medium severity. Organizations should prioritize patching immediately, particularly as this vulnerability affects multiple Apple operating systems including iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3.
Risk to organizations includes potential disruptions in application availability, which could impact user experience and productivity. The exploitability of this vulnerability is classified as medium, indicating that while a successful attack may require specific conditions, the risk remains significant enough to warrant immediate attention.
According to the latest intelligence, there is no known exploit available for this vulnerability, and it has not been included in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Organizations should remain vigilant and address this vulnerability as part of their regular patch management processes.
Given the nature of this vulnerability, organizations using affected Apple products are encouraged to schedule remediation as a priority to prevent any potential disruptions.
Vulnerability Details
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, and watchOS 11.3. The potential impact includes unexpected app terminations, which can affect service availability.
The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.3 indicates a medium severity level, characterized by a network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and required user interaction. The availability impact is rated as low.
Affected products include iPadOS, iPhone OS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS, with a CWE classification of CWE-404 indicating that the vulnerability is related to improper resource management.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate checks during file parsing, allowing for unexpected behaviors such as application termination. The attack vector is network-based, indicating that an attacker could exploit this vulnerability remotely, provided they can entice a user to interact with a malicious file.
The attack complexity is low, meaning that the conditions necessary to exploit the vulnerability are not overly difficult to satisfy. No privileges are required, which means that any user interacting with the vulnerable application could trigger the issue.
User interaction is required for exploitation, as the vulnerable application must be prompted to parse the malicious file. The confidentiality and integrity impacts are rated as none, while the availability impact is low, as the primary risk is the crash of the application.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Real-world deployment risk includes the potential for significant disruptions in application availability across various Apple devices. This could lead to negative user experiences and operational downtime, particularly for organizations heavily reliant on these platforms.
Why this matters to organizations is clear: the unexpected termination of applications can hinder business processes, affect customer satisfaction, and potentially lead to data loss in volatile scenarios. The blast radius for this vulnerability is broad, affecting multiple iterations of Apple’s operating systems.
Organizations should evaluate their patching strategies and prioritize remediation based on the CVSS score and the potential impact of exploitation. As this vulnerability is classified as medium severity, organizations should address it in their priority patch cycle.
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The vulnerability affects the following products: iPadOS, iPhone OS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Specific vulnerable versions include all prior to iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, and iOS 18.3.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should upgrade to the latest versions of affected products, specifically iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, and watchOS 11.3 to mitigate this vulnerability.
If immediate patching is not feasible, organizations should consider implementing configuration hardening to limit exposure to potential attacks. Additionally, network controls can be enforced to restrict access to vulnerable applications.
Monitoring for behavioral anomalies in application performance may also help detect potential exploitation attempts.
For more comprehensive security validation, organizations should consider conducting regular penetration testing. This can help identify potential weaknesses in their security posture and ensure that all vulnerabilities are effectively managed.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor application logs for indicators of unexpected crashes or terminations, which may suggest exploitation attempts. Additionally, behavioral anomalies, such as unusual file parsing activities, should be flagged for further investigation.
Network signatures related to file parsing and application termination events can be established to help identify potential attack attempts. System changes, particularly those involving application updates or modifications, should also be closely monitored.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2025-24160 lies in its impact on application availability across multiple Apple platforms. This incident underscores the necessity for continuous monitoring and timely patch management in an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Organizations should note that vulnerabilities in widely used systems like Apple's can have a broad impact, given their large user base. This situation highlights the importance of having a robust vulnerability management program in place.
Security teams should learn from this incident to enhance their proactive measures against similar vulnerabilities. Engaging in regular security assessments and adopting a comprehensive risk management strategy can help mitigate potential threats effectively.
Continuous penetration testing can be a vital part of ensuring that security measures remain effective against emerging threats.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
.webp)