CVE-2025-24222 Overview
CVE-2025-24222 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting Apple macOS. Processing maliciously crafted web content can trigger an unexpected process crash, resulting in denial of service on affected systems. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-119], improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer. Apple addressed the issue with improved memory handling in macOS Sequoia 15.5. The vulnerability requires user interaction, typically visiting a malicious web page, and can be exploited over the network without authentication.
Critical Impact
Attackers can crash processes handling web content on unpatched macOS systems by delivering specially crafted web pages, disrupting application availability.
Affected Products
- Apple macOS versions prior to Sequoia 15.5
- Applications on macOS that render web content through system web frameworks
- Safari and other browsers relying on macOS web content processing components
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-12 - CVE-2025-24222 published to NVD
- 2025-05-12 - Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.5 with the fix
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-24222
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the web content processing components shipped with macOS. When the system parses attacker-controlled web content, memory handling errors occur within a bounded buffer operation. This condition falls under [CWE-119], improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer.
Exploitation results in an unexpected process crash. Confidentiality and integrity are not affected according to the CVSS vector, but availability is impacted. The attack originates over the network and requires the victim to load malicious content, which is a low bar in browser-based delivery scenarios.
An EPSS probability of 0.389% places the likelihood of active exploitation attempts in the lower percentile range. No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper memory handling during the parsing or rendering of web content. Apple's advisory states the fix was implemented through improved memory handling, indicating the original code path performed unsafe operations on memory buffers when processing crafted inputs. Specific structures or code paths have not been disclosed publicly.
Attack Vector
An attacker hosts a malicious web page or delivers crafted web content through embedded views such as WebViews. When a user on a vulnerable macOS system visits the page, the web content triggers the memory corruption. The result is a crash of the process rendering the content. No authentication or elevated privileges are required.
The vulnerability mechanism involves malformed web content structures that violate expected memory boundaries during parsing. Because no verified proof-of-concept is available, specific exploitation details remain undisclosed. See the Apple Security Advisory and the Full Disclosure Mailing List Post for further reference.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24222
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected crashes of web content rendering processes such as com.apple.WebKit.WebContent on macOS endpoints
- Crash reports in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ referencing WebKit or content-processing components
- Unusual visits to newly registered or low-reputation domains preceding process crashes
Detection Strategies
- Monitor endpoint telemetry for repeated crashes of browser child processes on macOS builds earlier than Sequoia 15.5
- Correlate browser process termination events with recent URL navigation events in endpoint logs
- Inspect network traffic for delivery of suspicious HTML, JavaScript, or media content targeting Safari and WebKit-based applications
Monitoring Recommendations
- Ingest macOS Unified Logs and diagnostic reports into a centralized logging platform for crash pattern analysis
- Alert on macOS endpoints running versions below 15.5 that continue to access the internet with browsers
- Track the ratio of web content process crashes per host to identify anomalies consistent with exploitation attempts
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24222
Immediate Actions Required
- Update all macOS systems to macOS Sequoia 15.5 or later through Software Update
- Inventory endpoints running unsupported or unpatched macOS releases and prioritize them for remediation
- Restrict browsing to trusted sites on systems that cannot be patched immediately
Patch Information
Apple released the fix in macOS Sequoia 15.5. Administrators should deploy this update through Apple's Software Update mechanism or their mobile device management (MDM) platform. Full details are available in the Apple Security Advisory.
Workarounds
- Disable JavaScript in browsers for high-risk users until patches are applied
- Route web traffic through a filtering proxy that blocks access to untrusted domains
- Use browser isolation or remote browser technology for users handling untrusted links
# Verify macOS version and trigger software update
sw_vers -productVersion
sudo softwareupdate --install --all --restart
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
