CVE-2025-24257

Root

Cause

CVE-2025-24257 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Apple's operating systems. The flaw arises from improper input validation, allowing a malicious application to write data beyond the bounds of an allocated memory buffer [1][2]. This class of memory corruption bug can lead to kernel memory corruption.

Exploitation

An attacker would need to convince a user to install a malicious app on a vulnerable device. No special privileges beyond app sandbox access are required, as the vulnerability is reachable from the application layer. The attack surface is broad, affecting macOS Sequoia, iOS/iPadOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4, and watchOS 11.4 [1][2][3][4].

Impact

Successful exploitation can result in unexpected system termination (kernel panic) or arbitrary writes to kernel memory. Kernel memory corruption can allow an attacker to escalate privileges from within the app sandbox, gaining full control over the device's operating system.

Mitigation

Apple addressed the issue with improved input validation in the following updates: macOS Sequoia 15.4, iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4, and watchOS 11.4 released on March 31-April 1, 2025 [1][2][3][4]. No workarounds are listed; users should apply the latest updates. The CVE is not currently listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.