CVE-2024-54505: Apple Safari Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-54505 Overview

CVE-2024-54505 is a type confusion vulnerability affecting Apple's WebKit browser engine across multiple Apple platforms. The vulnerability exists in the memory handling routines within WebKit, where improper type validation allows an attacker to trigger memory corruption when a victim processes maliciously crafted web content. This vulnerability affects a wide range of Apple products including Safari, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS.

Type confusion vulnerabilities occur when a program allocates or initializes a resource using one type but later accesses that resource using an incompatible type. In the context of WebKit, this can lead to memory corruption when the browser engine processes specially crafted JavaScript or HTML content, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the browser process.

Critical Impact

Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to memory corruption, potentially enabling remote code execution on affected Apple devices.

Affected Products

• Apple Safari (versions prior to 18.2)
• Apple iOS (versions prior to 18.2)
• Apple iPadOS (versions prior to 17.7.3 and 18.2)
• Apple macOS Sequoia (versions prior to 15.2)
• Apple tvOS (versions prior to 18.2)
• Apple visionOS (versions prior to 2.2)
• Apple watchOS (versions prior to 11.2)

Discovery Timeline

• December 12, 2024 - CVE-2024-54505 published to NVD
• November 3, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-54505

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-843 (Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type - Type Confusion). Type confusion vulnerabilities in browser engines like WebKit are particularly dangerous because they can be triggered remotely through malicious web content without requiring any user interaction beyond visiting a compromised or malicious website.

The vulnerability requires network access for exploitation, where an attacker must convince a user to visit a malicious website or inject malicious content into a legitimate website. Once the victim's browser processes the crafted content, the type confusion can lead to memory corruption, which may be leveraged to achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the browser process.

The attack surface is broad due to WebKit's use across Apple's ecosystem, affecting not only Safari but also any application that uses WebView components for rendering web content on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS devices.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-54505 lies in improper memory handling within WebKit's type system. When processing certain web content, the engine fails to properly validate or enforce type constraints, allowing a resource to be accessed using an incompatible type. This type confusion leads to the engine operating on memory with incorrect assumptions about its structure or size, resulting in memory corruption.

Apple addressed this issue by implementing improved memory handling to ensure proper type validation and prevent the type confusion condition from occurring during web content processing.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2024-54505 is network-based, requiring user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability through the following methods:

1. Malicious Website: Creating a website containing specially crafted JavaScript or HTML that triggers the type confusion when rendered by WebKit
2. Watering Hole Attack: Compromising legitimate websites frequented by targeted users and injecting malicious content
3. Malvertising: Delivering malicious content through advertising networks to reach victims on otherwise trusted websites
4. Phishing: Sending links to malicious pages via email, messaging apps, or social media

The exploitation does not require any authentication or special privileges, only that the victim visit a page containing the malicious content using an affected WebKit-based browser or application.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-54505

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual WebKit or Safari process crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Unexpected child processes spawned by browser or WebView-containing applications
• Anomalous network connections originating from browser processes to unknown destinations
• Memory access violations or segmentation faults logged in system crash reports related to WebKit

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system logs for WebKit-related crash reports that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Implement web filtering to block access to known malicious domains distributing WebKit exploits
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying memory corruption exploitation techniques
• Analyze browser process behavior for indicators of code injection or shellcode execution

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable and centralize crash reporting across Apple devices to identify potential exploitation patterns
• Monitor for unusual outbound network traffic from browser processes that may indicate successful compromise
• Implement browser isolation technologies to contain potential exploitation attempts
• Track security advisory releases from Apple and WebKit-GTK for ongoing threat intelligence

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-54505

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all affected Apple devices to the latest available software versions immediately
• Prioritize patching Safari and iOS/iPadOS devices due to their direct exposure to web-based attacks
• Review and update any third-party applications that embed WebKit WebView components
• Consider implementing network-level web filtering to block known malicious content

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates addressing CVE-2024-54505 across all affected platforms. Organizations and users should update to the following minimum versions:

• Safari: Version 18.2 or later
• iOS: Version 18.2 or later
• iPadOS: Version 17.7.3 or 18.2 or later
• macOS Sequoia: Version 15.2 or later
• tvOS: Version 18.2 or later
• visionOS: Version 2.2 or later
• watchOS: Version 11.2 or later

Detailed patch information is available from Apple's security advisories:

• Apple Security Update Advisory for Safari
• Apple Security Update Advisory for iOS and iPadOS
• Apple Security Update Advisory for macOS Sequoia

Additional advisories are available for tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS.

Linux distributions using WebKit-GTK should also apply available updates as noted in the Debian LTS Announcement.

Workarounds

• Use content blockers and ad blockers to reduce exposure to potentially malicious web content
• Disable JavaScript in Safari for untrusted websites through Settings > Safari > Advanced > JavaScript
• Implement DNS-based filtering to block known malicious domains at the network level
• Consider using browser isolation solutions for high-risk browsing activities until patches can be applied

# Check current Safari version on macOS
/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari --version

# Check current iOS/iPadOS version via command line (requires mobile device management)
# Or navigate to Settings > General > About > Software Version on device

# Verify macOS version
sw_vers -productVersion