CVE-2025-24161: Apple iPadOS DOS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24161 Overview

CVE-2025-24161 is a file parsing vulnerability affecting multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. The vulnerability stems from improper exception handling (CWE-754) in the file parsing components of these operating systems, which can lead to unexpected application termination when processing specially crafted files.

Critical Impact

Maliciously crafted files can cause application crashes, resulting in denial of service conditions across Apple devices. User interaction is required to trigger the vulnerability.

Affected Products

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

Discovery Timeline

• January 27, 2025 - CVE-2025-24161 published to NVD
• November 3, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24161

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability exists in the file parsing functionality across Apple's operating system ecosystem. The core issue relates to improper exception handling (CWE-754), where the affected components fail to properly validate and handle exceptional conditions during file parsing operations. When a user opens or processes a maliciously crafted file, the parsing routine encounters unexpected data that triggers an unhandled exception, causing the application to terminate unexpectedly.

The attack requires local access and user interaction, meaning an attacker would need to convince a user to open a malicious file through social engineering or by embedding it in content that appears legitimate. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise data confidentiality or integrity, it poses a significant availability risk by enabling denial of service attacks against affected applications.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-24161 is improper check or handling of exceptional conditions during file parsing operations. Apple's file parsing components did not adequately validate input data or handle edge cases, allowing malformed file content to trigger application crashes. The fix implemented by Apple addresses this by adding improved validation checks before processing file content.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability requires local access with user interaction. An attacker must craft a malicious file and deliver it to the victim through various means such as:

• Email attachments
• Messaging applications
• Downloaded files from websites
• Shared documents through cloud services
• AirDrop or other file sharing mechanisms

When the victim opens or previews the malicious file, the vulnerable parsing component processes the file content, encounters the crafted malicious data, and crashes the application. While this primarily results in denial of service, repeated exploitation could disrupt user workflows and potentially be chained with other vulnerabilities.

The vulnerability is exploited by crafting files with malformed data structures that trigger unhandled exceptions in Apple's file parsing routines. When the parser encounters this malformed data, it fails to properly handle the exceptional condition, resulting in application termination. Technical details about the specific file format and malformed structures are available in the Full Disclosure mailing list posts.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24161

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual application crashes when opening files from untrusted sources
• Crash logs showing parsing-related exceptions in system applications
• Multiple repeated crashes of the same application within a short timeframe
• Suspicious files with unusual structures or malformed headers received via email or messaging

Detection Strategies

• Monitor system crash logs for patterns indicating file parsing failures
• Implement endpoint detection rules to identify repeated application crashes
• Use SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect anomalous application termination patterns
• Deploy file inspection capabilities to scan incoming files for potential exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable crash reporting and review logs regularly for parsing-related crashes
• Monitor network traffic for suspicious file downloads that may target this vulnerability
• Track application stability metrics to identify potential exploitation attempts
• Implement alerts for unusual patterns of application restarts or terminations

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24161

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all Apple devices to the latest patched versions immediately
• Avoid opening files from untrusted or unknown sources until patches are applied
• Enable automatic updates on all Apple devices to ensure timely patch deployment
• Review and restrict file sharing permissions in enterprise environments

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates addressing CVE-2025-24161 with improved validation checks in the file parsing components. The following versions include the fix:

• iPadOS 17.7.4 - Apple Support Advisory #122069
• iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 - Apple Support Advisory #122066
• macOS Sonoma 14.7.3 - Apple Support Advisory #122073
• macOS Sequoia 15.3 - Apple Support Advisory #122067
• watchOS 11.3 - Apple Support Advisory #122071
• tvOS 18.3 - Apple Support Advisory #122072
• visionOS 2.3 - Apple Support Advisory #122068

Organizations should prioritize patching devices that handle sensitive files or are used in critical workflows.

Workarounds

• Restrict file downloads and transfers to known, trusted sources only
• Implement enterprise mobile device management (MDM) policies to control file access
• Use email gateway filtering to scan and quarantine suspicious file attachments
• Configure SentinelOne endpoint protection to monitor for exploitation attempts

# Check current macOS version
sw_vers

# Update macOS via command line
softwareupdate --list
softwareupdate --install --all

# For iOS/iPadOS devices, update via Settings > General > Software Update