CVE-2025-24167 Overview
CVE-2025-24167 is a state management vulnerability affecting Apple Safari, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Sequoia. The flaw allows a download's origin to be incorrectly associated, potentially enabling attackers to bypass security controls that rely on accurate origin tracking. This vulnerability was addressed by Apple through improved state management in their March 2025 security updates.
The vulnerability exists in the download handling mechanism where improper state management leads to incorrect origin association. This could allow malicious actors to circumvent origin-based security policies, potentially leading to security boundary violations and trust model compromises.
Critical Impact
This vulnerability allows network-based attackers to exploit incorrect download origin associations without authentication, potentially bypassing security controls that depend on accurate origin tracking across Safari, iOS, and iPadOS.
Affected Products
- Apple Safari (versions prior to 18.4)
- Apple iOS (versions prior to 18.4)
- Apple iPadOS (versions prior to 18.4)
- macOS Sequoia (versions prior to 15.4)
Discovery Timeline
- March 31, 2025 - CVE-2025-24167 published to NVD
- November 3, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-24167
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability stems from improper state management in Apple's download handling subsystem. When files are downloaded through Safari or the WebKit engine on iOS/iPadOS, the system maintains state information about the download's origin to enforce security policies. Due to the state management flaw, this origin information can become incorrectly associated with downloads.
The vulnerability allows network-based exploitation without requiring user interaction or authentication. The attack does not require any privileges to execute, making it accessible to remote attackers. If successfully exploited, attackers could potentially manipulate how the system identifies the source of downloaded content, undermining security mechanisms that rely on origin verification.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper state management in the download handling components of Safari and WebKit. The system fails to properly maintain and validate the association between downloaded content and its origin throughout the download lifecycle. This state inconsistency allows the origin metadata to become misassociated, breaking the trust relationship between downloaded content and its source.
Attack Vector
The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. An attacker could craft malicious web content that exploits the state management flaw during the download process. By manipulating the timing or sequence of download operations, an attacker may be able to cause the system to incorrectly associate a download with a different origin than its actual source.
The attack leverages the WebKit rendering engine's download handling, which is shared across Safari on macOS and the system browser on iOS/iPadOS. This makes the vulnerability particularly impactful as it affects Apple's primary browsing platforms across desktop and mobile.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24167
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual download activity patterns where file origins appear inconsistent with browsing history
- Downloaded files with origin metadata that does not match expected source domains
- Anomalous WebKit process behavior during download operations
- Unexpected security policy bypass events related to downloaded content
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Safari and WebKit process activity for abnormal state transitions during downloads
- Implement network traffic analysis to correlate download requests with origin associations
- Review system logs for discrepancies between requested download URLs and recorded origins
- Deploy endpoint detection to identify exploitation attempts targeting WebKit components
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for Safari and WebKit processes on managed devices
- Monitor for security policy exceptions related to downloaded file handling
- Track software version compliance to identify systems running vulnerable Safari/iOS versions
- Implement alerting for unusual patterns in download origin metadata
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24167
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Safari to version 18.4 or later on all macOS systems
- Update iOS and iPadOS to version 18.4 or later on all mobile devices
- Update macOS Sequoia to version 15.4 or later
- Prioritize updates for devices with access to sensitive networks or data
Patch Information
Apple has released security updates that address this vulnerability through improved state management. The following versions contain the fix:
- Safari 18.4
- iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4
- macOS Sequoia 15.4
Detailed patch information is available in the official Apple security advisories:
Workarounds
- Restrict browsing to trusted websites until patches can be applied
- Consider using alternative browsers on macOS systems if immediate patching is not feasible
- Implement network-level controls to filter potentially malicious download sources
- Enable additional download verification policies where available
- Review and enhance download quarantine policies on managed devices
# Verify Safari version on macOS
/usr/bin/defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString
# Check iOS/iPadOS version via MDM or device settings
# Settings > General > About > Software Version
# Ensure version 18.4 or later is installed
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
