CVE-2025-24124: Apple iPadOS DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24124 Overview

CVE-2025-24124 is a file parsing vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation checks during file parsing operations, which can result in unexpected application termination when processing maliciously crafted files.

Critical Impact
Parsing a specially crafted file may lead to unexpected application termination, causing denial of service conditions across Apple's entire ecosystem of devices.

Affected Products

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

Discovery Timeline

January 27, 2025 - CVE-2025-24124 published to NVD
November 3, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24124

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation during file parsing operations within Apple's operating systems. When an application attempts to process a maliciously crafted file, the insufficient checks fail to properly handle unexpected or malformed data structures, leading to an uncontrolled application crash.

The attack requires local access and user interaction—specifically, a victim must open or interact with a malicious file. While this limits the attack surface compared to remotely exploitable vulnerabilities, it remains a significant concern given the widespread use of Apple devices for document sharing and file transfers in both consumer and enterprise environments.

The impact is primarily availability-related, as successful exploitation results in denial of service through application termination. There is no evidence of confidentiality or integrity impact associated with this vulnerability.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-24124 lies in insufficient input validation during file parsing operations. Apple's description indicates "the issue was addressed with improved checks," suggesting that the original code path lacked proper boundary validation, type checking, or error handling when processing file contents. This allowed malformed input to reach code paths that could not gracefully handle unexpected data, resulting in application crashes.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-24124 requires local access with user interaction. An attacker would need to:

Craft a malicious file designed to trigger the parsing vulnerability
Deliver the file to the target device through email attachments, messaging apps, AirDrop, or file sharing services
Convince the victim to open or interact with the malicious file

Upon opening the crafted file, the vulnerable parsing code encounters unexpected data that triggers an unhandled exception or error condition, causing the application to terminate unexpectedly.

The vulnerability mechanism involves improper validation during file parsing operations. When a maliciously crafted file is processed, insufficient bounds checking or data validation allows the parser to enter an error state that results in application termination. Technical details are available in the Full Disclosure mailing list posts and Apple's security advisories.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24124

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected application crashes occurring immediately after opening specific files
Repeated crash logs in system diagnostics referencing file parsing operations
User reports of applications terminating when opening files received from external sources
Crash reporter entries showing consistent failure patterns in parsing-related system frameworks

Detection Strategies

Monitor system crash logs for patterns indicating file parsing failures across multiple applications
Implement endpoint detection rules to identify suspicious file types being opened followed by immediate process termination
Deploy file integrity monitoring to detect attempts to distribute potentially malicious files within the organization
Configure SentinelOne Singularity to alert on unusual application crash patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on Apple devices to capture detailed crash information for forensic analysis
Monitor for patterns of repeated application crashes across multiple users that may indicate targeted file-based attacks
Track file sharing activities and correlate with application stability events
Review crash reports submitted to Apple diagnostics for signs of exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24124

Immediate Actions Required

Update all Apple devices to the latest patched versions: iOS 18.3, iPadOS 17.7.4 or 18.3, macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, tvOS 18.3, and visionOS 2.3
Educate users about the risks of opening files from unknown or untrusted sources
Implement email filtering and attachment scanning to detect potentially malicious files before delivery
Enable automatic software updates on all managed Apple devices to ensure timely patch deployment

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates addressing CVE-2025-24124 across all affected platforms. The fixes implement improved validation checks during file parsing operations. Detailed patch information is available in the following Apple Security Advisories:

Workarounds

Exercise caution when opening files from unknown or untrusted sources until patches can be applied
Consider using file preview features rather than fully opening potentially suspicious files
Implement network-level filtering to quarantine suspicious attachments for analysis
Use sandboxed environments or separate devices for opening files from untrusted sources

bash

# Check current OS version on macOS
sw_vers

# Enable automatic updates on macOS (recommended)
sudo softwareupdate --schedule on

# Check for available updates
softwareupdate --list