CVE-2025-24091: Apple iPadOS DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24091 Overview

CVE-2025-24091 is a notification impersonation vulnerability affecting Apple iOS and iPadOS that allows a malicious application to impersonate system notifications. This vulnerability stems from insufficient entitlement restrictions on sensitive notification capabilities, enabling apps to display deceptive notifications that appear to originate from the system. Additionally, exploitation of this flaw may result in denial-of-service conditions affecting device usability.

Critical Impact

Malicious applications can exploit this vulnerability to display fake system notifications, potentially deceiving users into taking unintended actions. This can be leveraged for social engineering attacks, credential harvesting, or causing denial-of-service on affected devices.

Affected Products

• Apple iOS (versions prior to 18.3)
• Apple iPadOS (versions prior to 18.3)
• Apple iPadOS (versions prior to 17.7.3)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-04-30 - CVE CVE-2025-24091 published to NVD
• 2025-05-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24091

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-290 (Authentication Bypass by Spoofing), which occurs when an application fails to properly verify the authenticity of a claimed identity. In this case, the iOS/iPadOS notification subsystem did not adequately enforce entitlement requirements for displaying system-level notifications.

The attack requires local access, meaning a malicious application must first be installed on the target device. Once installed, the app can abuse the notification framework to generate notifications that mimic system alerts, potentially misleading users into believing they are interacting with legitimate system prompts.

The vulnerability primarily impacts availability, as exploitation can cause denial-of-service conditions. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly compromised, the social engineering implications of fake system notifications present significant security concerns.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in missing entitlement validation within the notification subsystem. Prior to the fix, applications could generate notifications with system-level appearance without possessing the required restricted entitlements. Apple addressed this by implementing stricter entitlement checks that ensure only properly authorized system components can display sensitive notifications.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring user interaction to install and execute a malicious application. An attacker would need to distribute a weaponized app through unofficial channels or potentially abuse enterprise distribution mechanisms. Once the malicious app is running on the device, it can:

1. Generate notifications that visually impersonate system alerts
2. Display fake security warnings or update prompts
3. Trigger denial-of-service by flooding the notification system
4. Potentially trick users into providing credentials or taking harmful actions

The attack does not require any special privileges beyond standard app permissions, making it relatively accessible to attackers who can distribute malicious applications.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24091

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual notification patterns from third-party applications mimicking system UI
• Applications displaying notifications with system-like icons or branding without proper authorization
• Device instability or unresponsiveness related to notification processing
• User reports of suspicious system notifications from non-Apple apps

Detection Strategies

• Monitor installed applications for apps that have not been reviewed through the App Store
• Review device logs for notification-related errors or anomalies in the UserNotifications framework
• Implement mobile device management (MDM) policies to restrict app installations from untrusted sources
• Use endpoint security solutions capable of detecting behavioral anomalies in iOS/iPadOS applications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable SentinelOne Mobile Threat Defense to detect malicious application behavior on managed iOS devices
• Configure alerting for devices running vulnerable iOS/iPadOS versions
• Monitor enterprise app catalogs for suspicious applications that may exploit this vulnerability
• Track user complaints regarding unusual system notifications as potential indicators of exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24091

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all iOS devices to version 18.3 or later immediately
• Update all iPadOS devices to version 18.3 or later (or 17.7.3 for devices on the 17.x branch)
• Remove any suspicious or untrusted applications from affected devices
• Educate users about the risks of installing applications from outside the App Store
• Enable SentinelOne Mobile protection to monitor for exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates that address this vulnerability by implementing restricted entitlements for sensitive notifications. The following versions contain the fix:

• iOS 18.3 - Full remediation for iPhone devices
• iPadOS 18.3 - Full remediation for iPad devices on the 18.x branch
• iPadOS 17.7.3 - Full remediation for iPad devices on the 17.x branch

For detailed patch information, refer to Apple Support Article 121838 and Apple Support Article 122066.

Workarounds

• Restrict app installations to App Store only by disabling sideloading capabilities
• Use MDM profiles to enforce application whitelisting on managed devices
• Enable Lockdown Mode on high-risk devices for additional security protections
• Audit currently installed applications and remove any from untrusted sources

# Example MDM Configuration Profile Restriction
# Deploy via MDM to restrict app installation sources
# Key: allowAppInstallation
# Value: true (with App Store restrictions enabled)
# Key: allowEnterpriseAppTrust
# Value: false (prevents untrusted enterprise apps)