CVE-2025-31200: Apple macOS Memory Corruption RCE Flaw

CVE-2025-31200 Overview

A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in tvOS 18.4.1, visionOS 2.4.1, iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, macOS Sequoia 15.4.1. Processing an audio stream in a maliciously crafted media file may result in code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on iOS.

Critical Impact
Memory corruption leading to potential remote code execution in Apple devices.

Affected Products

apple macos
apple tvos
apple visionos

Discovery Timeline

Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Not Available
Not Available - Responsible disclosure to apple
Not Available - CVE CVE-2025-31200 assigned
Not Available - apple releases security patch
2025-04-16 - CVE CVE-2025-31200 published to NVD
2025-11-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31200

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a result of improper bounds checking that leads to memory corruption when processing audio streams in specific Apple OS versions. This can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in insufficient bounds checking of audio stream data which leads to out-of-bounds memory writes, a typical memory corruption pattern.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is over the network, where an attacker could deliver a maliciously crafted media file to exploit the vulnerability.

// Simulated exploitation structure
void process_audio_stream(char *input) {
    char buffer[256];
    strcpy(buffer, input); // Lack of bounds checking
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31200

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual media file accesses
Crash reports related to audio processing
System instability when processing received media

Detection Strategies

Monitoring for anomalies in media file processing and unusual behavior within Apple's media frameworks could indicate exploitation attempts.

Monitoring Recommendations

Deploy extended logging for media processing applications and analyze crash logs for patterns relating to audio file manipulations.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31200

Immediate Actions Required

Update to the latest OS versions: tvOS 18.4.1, visionOS 2.4.1, iOS 18.4.1, iPadOS 18.4.1, macOS 15.4.1
Audit applications for large or unexpected media streams being processed
Implement additional network filtering to detect anomalies

Patch Information

Apple has released patches that address this vulnerability in their latest OS versions, detailed at Apple Support.

Workarounds

Restrict execution of media files from untrusted sources and employ network-level defenses to filter potentially malicious content.

bash

# Example of network firewall rule
echo 'Blocking malicious media delivery'
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m string --string "malicious_signature" --algo kmp -j DROP