CVE-2025-30437: Apple macOS Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-30437 Overview

CVE-2025-30437 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting Apple macOS prior to Sequoia 15.4. The flaw allows a malicious application to corrupt coprocessor memory due to insufficient bounds checking. Apple addressed the issue with improved bounds checks in the macOS Sequoia 15.4 release. The weakness is classified under [CWE-119] (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer).

Critical Impact
An application running on an affected macOS host can corrupt coprocessor memory, undermining the integrity boundary between userland code and dedicated coprocessor firmware on Apple silicon.

Affected Products

Apple macOS versions prior to Sequoia 15.4
Apple silicon systems with onboard coprocessors running vulnerable macOS builds
All macOS Sequoia installations not updated to 15.4

Discovery Timeline

2025-03-31 - CVE-2025-30437 published to NVD
2025-03-31 - Apple releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 with security fix
2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30437

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in macOS code that interacts with a coprocessor on Apple silicon hardware. Insufficient bounds validation on data passed to the coprocessor allows an attacker-controlled application to write outside the intended memory region. This corruption affects the coprocessor's memory state, which sits outside the primary CPU's protection domain.

The flaw is categorized under [CWE-119], indicating improper restriction of operations on a memory buffer. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality and integrity, though it does not directly affect availability according to the CVSS vector. Attack complexity is high because reaching the vulnerable code path requires specific conditions on the target system.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds checks on input passed to the coprocessor interface. The vulnerable code path accepted values that exceeded the intended buffer boundaries, permitting writes into adjacent coprocessor memory. Apple's patch introduces stricter bounds validation before any coprocessor memory operation executes.

Attack Vector

The CVSS vector lists a network attack vector, but practical exploitation requires an application running on the target system to invoke the vulnerable interface. Once executing locally, the application sends crafted input that bypasses bounds checks and corrupts coprocessor memory. Because no user interaction or privileges are required by the calling app, any installed process with access to the coprocessor interface can trigger the issue.

No public proof-of-concept code or exploit has been released. Apple has not detailed the specific coprocessor or interface affected. See the Apple Support Article and the Full Disclosure Mailing List Post for vendor and disclosure context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30437

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected coprocessor faults, kernel panics, or system instability on macOS Sequoia hosts running below 15.4
Crash reports referencing coprocessor or DriverKit subsystems in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/
Applications attempting unusual ioctl or IOKit calls against coprocessor-related drivers

Detection Strategies

Inventory macOS endpoints and identify hosts running Sequoia builds older than 15.4
Monitor process behavior for unsigned or unexpected applications interacting with low-level hardware interfaces
Review crash and panic logs for repeated faults that may indicate exploitation attempts against coprocessor memory

Monitoring Recommendations

Centralize macOS unified logs and diagnostic reports for correlation across the fleet
Alert on installation or execution of unsigned binaries that request hardware-level entitlements
Track macOS version compliance through MDM and flag systems missing the 15.4 update

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30437

Immediate Actions Required

Update all affected systems to macOS Sequoia 15.4 or later through Software Update or MDM-enforced policy
Restrict installation of unsigned or untrusted applications using Gatekeeper and notarization enforcement
Audit endpoint inventories to confirm patch deployment across managed Mac fleets

Patch Information

Apple addressed CVE-2025-30437 in macOS Sequoia 15.4 by adding improved bounds checks on the coprocessor interface. Refer to the Apple Support Article for the official advisory and complete list of fixes included in the 15.4 release.

Workarounds

No vendor-provided workaround exists; upgrading to macOS Sequoia 15.4 is the only supported remediation
Limit user privileges and prevent installation of untrusted third-party applications until patching is complete
Apply application allowlisting policies to reduce the attack surface for local exploitation

bash

# Verify macOS version meets the patched build
sw_vers -productVersion

# Trigger software update check
sudo softwareupdate -l
sudo softwareupdate -ia --restart