CVE-2025-24271: Apple iPadOS Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24271 Overview

CVE-2025-24271 is an access control vulnerability affecting Apple's AirPlay functionality across multiple operating systems. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated user on the same network as a signed-in Mac to send AirPlay commands without requiring pairing authentication. This flaw stems from missing authentication for a critical function (CWE-306) in the AirPlay protocol implementation.

The vulnerability enables attackers positioned on the same local network to bypass the normal AirPlay pairing process entirely. When a Mac user is signed in and AirPlay is enabled, an attacker can send arbitrary AirPlay commands, potentially allowing them to stream content to the device, display unauthorized media, or interfere with legitimate AirPlay sessions without any authentication or user consent.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated network attackers can send unauthorized AirPlay commands to signed-in Macs, bypassing pairing requirements and potentially disrupting device operation or displaying malicious content.

Affected Products

• Apple macOS (Sequoia prior to 15.4, Sonoma prior to 14.7.5, Ventura prior to 13.7.5)
• Apple iOS and iPadOS (prior to 18.4 and 17.7.6)
• Apple tvOS (prior to 18.4)
• Apple visionOS (prior to 2.4)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-04-29 - CVE-2025-24271 published to NVD
• 2025-04-30 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24271

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a fundamental authentication bypass in Apple's AirPlay implementation. The core issue lies in insufficient access restrictions that fail to properly validate the authentication state of AirPlay command sources. Under normal operation, AirPlay requires devices to complete a pairing process before commands can be exchanged. This vulnerability circumvents that requirement entirely for devices on the same network.

The attack requires adjacent network access, meaning the attacker must be on the same local network as the target device. This could include shared Wi-Fi networks in corporate environments, coffee shops, airports, hotels, or any other shared network infrastructure. Once positioned, no user interaction is required from the victim—the attack can proceed silently against any Mac that has a user signed in with AirPlay functionality enabled.

Root Cause

The root cause is identified as CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function. The AirPlay service fails to properly verify that incoming command requests originate from an authenticated and paired device. This allows network-adjacent attackers to craft AirPlay protocol messages that are accepted and processed without the normal authentication handshake.

The issue appears to affect the access control logic that should gate AirPlay command processing, allowing the authentication check to be bypassed when commands are received from devices on the same network segment as a signed-in Mac.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is adjacent network-based, requiring the attacker to be on the same local network as the victim device. The attack flow follows this pattern:

1. Attacker connects to the same network as the target Mac device
2. Attacker discovers Mac devices with AirPlay enabled through network scanning or mDNS/Bonjour discovery
3. Attacker identifies Macs with signed-in users (which are vulnerable)
4. Attacker sends crafted AirPlay protocol commands directly to the target
5. Commands are processed without pairing or authentication verification

This vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited silently. The impact includes unauthorized content streaming, potential disruption of legitimate AirPlay sessions, and privacy concerns from attackers gaining insight into device presence and user activity on the network.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24271

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected AirPlay sessions or streams appearing on devices without user initiation
• Unusual network traffic on AirPlay ports (TCP 7000, UDP 6002, and related mDNS traffic)
• Multiple AirPlay connection attempts from unrecognized devices in network logs
• Users reporting unauthorized content displayed on their screens via AirPlay

Detection Strategies

• Monitor network traffic for anomalous AirPlay protocol communications, particularly from devices that have not completed pairing
• Implement network segmentation to isolate trusted devices from untrusted network segments
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions that can identify unusual AirPlay daemon behavior
• Configure network intrusion detection systems to alert on suspicious mDNS/Bonjour discovery patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on AirPlay-capable devices and aggregate logs to a central SIEM
• Monitor for unexpected AirPlay connections in System Preferences/Settings on macOS devices
• Implement network access control (NAC) to ensure only authorized devices can access sensitive network segments
• Review firewall logs for unusual traffic patterns on AirPlay-related ports

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24271

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all Apple devices to the latest patched versions immediately: macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and 17.7.6, tvOS 18.4, and visionOS 2.4
• Disable AirPlay Receiver functionality on devices where it is not actively needed until patches can be applied
• Avoid connecting Apple devices to untrusted or public networks until updates are installed
• Segment networks to isolate critical Apple devices from general network access

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates addressing this vulnerability across all affected platforms. Administrators and users should apply the following updates as documented in Apple's security advisories:

• macOS Sequoia 15.4
• macOS Sonoma 14.7.5
• macOS Ventura 13.7.5
• iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4
• iPadOS 17.7.6
• tvOS 18.4
• visionOS 2.4

Workarounds

• Disable AirPlay Receiver in System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff on macOS devices until patches are applied
• Configure firewalls to block AirPlay traffic (TCP port 7000 and related UDP ports) from untrusted network segments
• Use VPN or network isolation when connecting to shared or public networks
• Enable "Require Password" for AirPlay in settings as an additional layer of protection

# Disable AirPlay Receiver on macOS via command line (requires restart of AirPlay services)
# Check current AirPlay Receiver status
defaults read com.apple.controlcenter "NSStatusItem Visible AirPlay"

# Alternatively, use System Settings GUI:
# System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff > AirPlay Receiver > Off