CVE-2025-24252: Apple iPadOS Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24252 Overview

A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.4, tvOS 18.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, iPadOS 17.7.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4. An attacker on the local network may be able to corrupt process memory.

Critical Impact

An attacker on the local network may be able to corrupt process memory by exploiting a use-after-free vulnerability, potentially leading to process memory corruption and other severe impacts.

Affected Products

• apple ipados
• apple iphone_os
• apple macos

Discovery Timeline

• Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Not Available
• Not Available - Responsible disclosure to apple
• Not Available - CVE CVE-2025-24252 assigned
• Not Available - apple releases security patch
• 2025-04-29 - CVE CVE-2025-24252 published to NVD
• 2025-11-07 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24252

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-24252 is a use-after-free memory corruption vulnerability that arises due to improper memory management. The issue allows an attacker on the local network to manipulate memory processes unfairly.

Root Cause

The vulnerability stems from the failure to adequately manage memory, leading to a use-after-free condition.

Attack Vector

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability from an adjacent network position.

/* Example exploitation code (sanitized) */
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

void vulnerableFunction() {
    char *buffer = (char *)malloc(10);
    free(buffer);
    /* Use after free occurs here */
    buffer[0] = 'A';
}

int main() {
    vulnerableFunction();
    return 0;
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24252

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected process crashes
• Memory access violations
• Unusual network activity

Detection Strategies

Use memory analysis tools to identify unauthorized memory access and runtime anomalies consistent with use-after-free scenarios.

Monitoring Recommendations

Implement continuous monitoring on network traffic and process behavior to identify suspicious activities depicting use-after-free exploitation attempts.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24252

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all systems to the latest patched version as provided by Apple.
• Restrict network access to trusted devices only.
• Implement application whitelisting to control unauthorized memory access.

Patch Information

Refer to Apple Security Updates for comprehensive patch details addressing this vulnerability.

Workarounds

Apple provides configuration suggestions and temporary workarounds until updates are applied. Limit exposure by segmenting network configurations.

# Configuration example
echo "Restricting network access..."
iptables -A INPUT -s [trusted IPs] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -j DROP