CVE-2025-24123: Apple iPadOS DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24123 Overview

CVE-2025-24123 is a file parsing vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems. Parsing a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected application termination, resulting in a denial-of-service condition. Apple addressed the issue with improved checks in the affected components.

The vulnerability requires local access with user interaction, such as opening or previewing a malicious file. Successful exploitation impacts availability but does not affect confidentiality or integrity of the affected system.

Critical Impact
Attackers can trigger unexpected application termination by delivering a crafted file to a target user on unpatched Apple devices, disrupting workflows across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS.

Affected Products

Apple iOS and iPadOS (versions prior to iOS 18.3 / iPadOS 18.3, and iPadOS 17.7.4)
Apple macOS Sequoia (prior to 15.3), macOS Sonoma (prior to 14.7.3), macOS Ventura (prior to 13.7.3)
Apple tvOS (prior to 18.3), visionOS (prior to 2.3), and watchOS (prior to 11.3)

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-27 - CVE-2025-24123 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24123

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-24123 stems from insufficient input validation during file parsing operations across Apple operating systems. When the affected component processes a specially crafted file, it fails to properly handle malformed structures, causing the parsing routine to enter an unexpected state.

The result is an unexpected application termination, effectively a denial-of-service condition against the process handling the file. Apple's advisories describe the fix as addressing the issue with improved checks, indicating additional validation logic was introduced in the parsing path.

The vulnerability is categorized under [CWE-NVD-noinfo] because Apple did not disclose the specific weakness class. Based on the impact profile, availability impact only, with no confidentiality or integrity impact, the flaw is consistent with a Denial of Service condition triggered through malformed input.

Root Cause

The root cause is inadequate validation of file structure during parsing. Malformed fields or unexpected content are not caught before the parser dereferences or operates on the data, leading to abnormal termination of the host application.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access and user interaction. An attacker delivers a crafted file, typically through email, messaging, web download, or removable media, and the victim must open or preview the file with an application that invokes the vulnerable parser. Network-based exploitation is not applicable.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code is available for CVE-2025-24123, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the Apple Support Article #122066 and related advisories for vendor-provided technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24123

Indicators of Compromise

Repeated crash reports referencing the same application when opening files of a specific type, visible under ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ on macOS.
Unexpected application termination events correlated with file open, preview, or Quick Look operations.
Delivery of unusual or unexpected files via email, messaging platforms, or web downloads immediately preceding crashes.

Detection Strategies

Monitor endpoint telemetry for abnormal termination of user-facing applications immediately following file open events.
Correlate macOS crash logs with recent file downloads or messaging attachments to identify potentially malicious payloads.
Track OS version and build inventory to identify endpoints that have not applied the January 2025 Apple security updates.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable centralized collection of macOS ReportCrash diagnostics and iOS crash telemetry via mobile device management (MDM) solutions.
Alert on file types delivered from untrusted senders that historically trigger parser-based crashes.
Review software update compliance dashboards weekly to confirm affected Apple OS versions are patched.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24123

Immediate Actions Required

Update all Apple devices to iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 or 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, macOS Ventura 13.7.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, or watchOS 11.3.
Push updates through MDM to enforce timely patching across managed fleets.
Instruct users to avoid opening files from untrusted or unverified sources until patching is complete.

Patch Information

Apple released fixes across its operating system portfolio in January 2025. Refer to the vendor advisories: Apple Support Article #122066, #122067, #122068, #122069, #122070, #122071, #122072, and #122073. Additional discussion is available on the Full Disclosure mailing list.

Workarounds

No official workaround exists. Apply the vendor patch as the primary remediation.
Restrict handling of untrusted files, particularly from unknown senders or unverified web sources, until updates are deployed.
Use MDM configuration profiles to enforce minimum OS version requirements on managed endpoints.

bash

# Verify current macOS version and check for available updates
sw_vers -productVersion
sudo softwareupdate --list
sudo softwareupdate --install --all --restart