CVE-2025-24244: Apple iPadOS Font Processing Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24244 Overview

CVE-2025-24244 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting font processing across multiple Apple operating systems. Processing a maliciously crafted font can result in the disclosure of process memory. Apple addressed the issue with improved memory handling. The vulnerability falls under [CWE-200] Information Exposure, and requires local access with user interaction to exploit. Apple shipped fixes across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS in coordinated security updates.

Critical Impact
A local attacker can trick a user into opening a crafted font file, leaking contents of process memory that may include sensitive data such as pointers, tokens, or credentials residing in the target process address space.

Affected Products

Apple iOS and iPadOS (fixed in iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and iPadOS 17.7.6)
Apple macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, and macOS Ventura 13.7.5
Apple tvOS 18.4 and watchOS 11.4

Discovery Timeline

2025-03-31 - CVE-2025-24244 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in the NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24244

Vulnerability Analysis

The flaw resides in Apple's font parsing code paths used by system components that render or preview font files. When the parser processes a maliciously crafted font, improper memory handling causes it to read beyond intended buffer boundaries or expose uninitialized memory to the caller. The exposed bytes originate from the process address space of the component performing the parsing.

Because font rendering is invoked by many everyday workflows, including document previews, web content, and messaging attachments, the attack surface is broad. The disclosed memory can include sensitive artifacts such as heap metadata, ASLR-related pointers, session tokens, or fragments of decrypted content held by the process.

Apple's advisory states that the issue was resolved with improved memory handling, indicating the fix tightens bounds checks or initializes memory before use. Exploitation does not grant code execution on its own, but the leaked data can serve as a primitive in a larger exploit chain.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper memory handling in font parsing logic, categorized as [CWE-200] Information Exposure. The parser returns or exposes memory contents that were not intended to be shared with the requesting context.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local delivery of a crafted font file and user interaction to trigger processing. An attacker typically embeds the font in a document, web page, or application resource and induces the victim to open it. There is no requirement for elevated privileges prior to exploitation.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the Apple Security Advisories for authoritative technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24244

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected font files (.ttf, .otf, .woff, .woff2) delivered through email attachments, chat applications, or downloaded documents from untrusted sources.
Crash reports or diagnostic logs referencing CoreText, libFontParser, or ATS (Apple Type Services) components on affected Apple devices.
Anomalous access patterns to font caches or repeated font parsing failures in system logs.

Detection Strategies

Inspect endpoint telemetry for processes spawning font rendering components after opening files from untrusted origins.
Correlate document or browser activity with subsequent crashes in Apple font-handling frameworks to identify probing attempts.
Hunt for newly written font files in user-writable locations such as ~/Downloads and ~/Library/Fonts followed by immediate invocation by system utilities.

Monitoring Recommendations

Centralize macOS unified log events related to CoreText and font validation failures for retrospective analysis.
Track OS build versions across the fleet and alert on devices running versions prior to the patched releases.
Monitor for outbound data flows following font processing events that could indicate staged exfiltration of leaked memory.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24244

Immediate Actions Required

Update all Apple devices to iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, iPadOS 17.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, tvOS 18.4, or watchOS 11.4, as applicable.
Enforce automatic updates via Mobile Device Management (MDM) to reduce patch latency across managed endpoints.
Instruct users to avoid opening font files or documents from untrusted sources until updates are confirmed installed.

Patch Information

Apple released fixes in the following updates: iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, iPadOS 17.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4. Full details are available in the Apple Security Advisory 122371, Advisory 122372, Advisory 122373, Advisory 122374, Advisory 122375, and Advisory 122377.

Workarounds

Restrict installation of untrusted fonts via configuration profiles or MDM policies on managed macOS and iOS fleets.
Disable automatic font downloading in browsers where feasible and block font file types at email and web gateways for high-risk user groups.
Apply application allow-listing to limit which processes may invoke Apple font parsing frameworks on sensitive endpoints.

bash

# Verify patched macOS build via terminal
sw_vers -productVersion
# Expected output on patched systems: 15.4, 14.7.5, or 13.7.5 (or later)

# Verify patched iOS/iPadOS build via MDM query (example: jamf)
# jamf policy -event checkOSVersion