CVE-2025-24223 Overview
CVE-2025-24223 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting Apple's WebKit browser engine across multiple operating systems. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to memory corruption, enabling attackers to compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems. Apple addressed the issue with improved memory handling in Safari 18.5, iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, tvOS 18.5, visionOS 2.5, and watchOS 11.5. The vulnerability requires user interaction, typically by visiting a malicious website or rendering attacker-controlled HTML content.
Critical Impact
A remote attacker can trigger memory corruption in WebKit through crafted web content, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the browser process across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro devices.
Affected Products
- Apple Safari versions prior to 18.5
- Apple iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 18.5
- Apple macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.5
- Apple tvOS prior to 18.5, visionOS prior to 2.5, watchOS prior to 11.5
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-12 - CVE-2025-24223 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2025-05-12 - Apple releases security patches across affected platforms
- 2026-04-02 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-24223
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in WebKit, the browser engine that powers Safari and all third-party browsers on iOS and iPadOS. Apple's advisories describe the flaw as a memory handling issue, a class of bug that typically involves incorrect allocation, deallocation, or access patterns within the engine's processing of web content. Exploitation requires the targeted user to load attacker-controlled content, such as a malicious webpage or an embedded WebView.
Memory corruption flaws in WebKit historically allow attackers to influence the layout of the renderer process heap. Once an attacker controls memory state, they can pivot toward arbitrary code execution within the sandboxed renderer. From there, chained sandbox escape vulnerabilities are commonly used to achieve broader system compromise.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper memory handling within WebKit's processing of crafted web content. Apple's mitigation language indicates that the fix improves how the affected code path manages object lifetimes or buffer accesses. Although Apple has not published implementation details, the assigned CWE-352 reference and the engine's history suggest the bug involves object state being manipulated through a malicious DOM, JavaScript, or layout sequence.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based with low complexity and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a malicious page or injects crafted content into a site the victim visits. When WebKit parses and renders the payload, the memory corruption is triggered in the renderer process. No elevated privileges are needed beyond the user's own browsing session, though the CVSS vector indicates the attacker must hold low-level privileges, such as the ability to deliver content to the target.
No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently associated with this CVE, and it is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24223
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected Safari or WebKit-based application crashes, particularly recurring renderer process termination tied to specific URLs
- Outbound network connections from com.apple.WebKit.WebContent processes to unfamiliar domains following a crash
- Browser cache or WebKit directories containing recently dropped binary artifacts or shell scripts
Detection Strategies
- Monitor endpoint telemetry for abnormal child processes spawned by Safari or WebKit-hosted applications such as Mail and Messages
- Correlate browser crash logs in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ with subsequent suspicious process or file activity
- Inspect web proxy and DNS logs for connections to newly registered or low-reputation domains delivering JavaScript-heavy payloads
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable EDR coverage on macOS endpoints to capture WebKit process lineage, code signing anomalies, and unsigned dynamic library loads
- Centralize unified logs and crash reports from Apple devices into a SIEM for retrospective hunting against renderer crashes
- Track installed Safari and OS build versions across the fleet to identify devices still running pre-patch versions
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24223
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade to Safari 18.5, iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, tvOS 18.5, visionOS 2.5, and watchOS 11.5 or later
- Restart devices after patch installation to ensure WebKit components are fully reloaded
- Audit managed Apple devices through MDM to confirm patch deployment status
Patch Information
Apple released coordinated updates across all affected platforms on May 12, 2025. Patch and advisory details are available in Apple Support Advisory #122404, Apple Support Advisory #122716, Apple Support Advisory #122719, Apple Support Advisory #122720, Apple Support Advisory #122721, and Apple Support Advisory #122722. Debian users running WebKitGTK should review the Debian LTS Announcement.
Workarounds
- Restrict browsing to trusted domains using DNS filtering or web proxy allow-lists until patches are applied
- Enable Lockdown Mode on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS for high-risk users to reduce WebKit's attack surface
- Disable JavaScript in Safari preferences for highly sensitive workflows where compatibility allows
# Verify Safari and macOS build versions on a Mac endpoint
sw_vers
defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString
# Example MDM compliance check for required minimum OS version
profiles status -type enrollment
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
