CVE-2025-24150: Apple Safari RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24150 Overview

CVE-2025-24150 is a command injection vulnerability in Apple Safari's Web Inspector component. Copying a URL from Web Inspector may lead to command injection on the host system. Apple addressed the issue with improved handling of files in Safari 18.3, iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3. The flaw is tracked under [CWE-77] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command) and affects Apple's browser engine across desktop and mobile platforms. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, specifically the act of copying a crafted URL from the Web Inspector interface.

Critical Impact

A maliciously crafted URL copied from Safari's Web Inspector can execute arbitrary commands, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Affected Products

• Apple Safari (versions prior to 18.3)
• Apple iOS and iPadOS (versions prior to 18.3)
• Apple macOS Sequoia (versions prior to 15.3)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-01-27 - CVE-2025-24150 published to NVD
• 2026-04-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24150

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Safari's Web Inspector, the developer tooling component used to examine page resources, network traffic, and DOM structure. When a developer or user copies a URL from the Web Inspector, the application fails to properly neutralize special characters before placing the data into a context where it can be interpreted as a command. An attacker who controls the URL content can embed shell metacharacters or command separators that execute when the copied data interacts with a downstream component.

The issue maps to [CWE-77], reflecting improper neutralization of special elements used in a command. Exploitation requires user interaction, but the attack vector is network-based because the malicious URL can originate from any web page rendered in Safari.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient sanitization of URL content during the copy operation in Web Inspector. Safari treated URL strings as inert text rather than validating or escaping characters that have semantic meaning in command interpreters. Apple's fix addresses the issue through improved file handling, indicating that the unsafe path involved file or URL data being passed to a process that interprets shell syntax.

Attack Vector

An attacker hosts a page containing a crafted URL with embedded command syntax. The victim opens Web Inspector on the page and copies the URL, either directly or via the inspector's resource panel. When the copied content is later pasted or processed by a tool that evaluates shell input, the injected command executes with the privileges of the active user. The attack relies on the convergence of a malicious page, developer tooling use, and a downstream command-interpreting consumer of the clipboard content.

No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available. Technical details are referenced in the Apple Support Article 122066, Apple Support Article 122068, and Apple Support Article 122074.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24150

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected child processes spawned from Safari, Terminal, or shell applications shortly after Web Inspector use.
• Clipboard contents containing URL strings with embedded shell metacharacters such as backticks, $(), or semicolons.
• Outbound network connections to unfamiliar hosts originating from processes invoked after a paste operation.

Detection Strategies

• Monitor process lineage on macOS endpoints for shell invocations whose parent is a browser or developer tool.
• Inspect unified logs for anomalous posix_spawn or execve events following clipboard activity.
• Hunt for Safari versions below 18.3 and operating system builds below iOS/iPadOS 18.3 or macOS Sequoia 15.3 across managed inventory.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Alert on installations of outdated Safari, iOS, iPadOS, or macOS versions through endpoint management telemetry.
• Correlate browser process telemetry with subsequent shell or scripting engine execution to surface command injection chains.
• Track references to the Debian LTS Announcement 14 and Apple advisories for related upstream WebKit fixes.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24150

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Safari to version 18.3 or later on all macOS endpoints.
• Upgrade iPhone and iPad devices to iOS 18.3 or iPadOS 18.3.
• Upgrade macOS Sequoia systems to version 15.3.
• Advise developers and power users to avoid copying URLs from Web Inspector on untrusted pages until patches are deployed.

Patch Information

Apple released fixes in Safari 18.3, iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3. Refer to Apple Support Article 122066, Apple Support Article 122068, and Apple Support Article 122074 for vendor-supplied release notes. Additional disclosure context is available in the Full Disclosure Post January 13, Full Disclosure Post January 15, and Full Disclosure Post January 20.

Workarounds

• Restrict Web Inspector usage to trusted pages and internal development environments.
• Disable the developer menu in Safari Preferences for users who do not require it.
• Apply application allowlisting to prevent unexpected shell or scripting binaries from launching as children of browser processes.