CVE-2025-31233: Apple iPadOS Video Processing DOS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-31233 Overview

CVE-2025-31233 is an input validation vulnerability [CWE-20] affecting multiple Apple operating systems. Processing a maliciously crafted video file may lead to unexpected app termination or corrupt process memory. Apple addressed the issue through improved input sanitization across its product line. The flaw impacts video parsing components shared between iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. An attacker requires low privileges and no user interaction to trigger the condition through network-delivered content.

Critical Impact
Processing a maliciously crafted video file may cause application termination or memory corruption, potentially enabling further exploitation of affected processes.

Affected Products

Apple iOS and iPadOS (fixed in iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, and iPadOS 17.7.7)
Apple macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, and macOS Sequoia 15.5
Apple tvOS 18.5, visionOS 2.5, and watchOS 11.5

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-12 - CVE-2025-31233 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31233

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-31233 is classified under [CWE-20] Improper Input Validation. The flaw resides in video file processing logic used across Apple's operating systems. When a target application parses a maliciously crafted video, input handling fails to reject malformed structures. The result is unexpected app termination or corruption of process memory. Memory corruption in a media pipeline can undermine data integrity in the affected process and may serve as a primitive for further exploitation when chained with additional flaws.

Apple's advisories describe the remediation as improved input sanitization, indicating that the fixed code paths now enforce stricter validation of video container or codec fields before deeper parsing occurs.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient validation of fields within a video file before those fields drive memory operations in the parser. Malformed values reach lower-level routines that assume well-formed input. This mismatch produces the crash or memory corruption behavior described in the advisory.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based. An attacker delivers a crafted video file through channels such as web content, messaging attachments, or shared media. Low privileges are required and no user interaction is needed once the file is processed by a vulnerable component. Successful exploitation affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the target process.

No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly documented. See the Apple Support advisory 122404 and Full Disclosure May 2025 #5 for technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31233

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected termination or repeated crashes of media-handling applications when processing untrusted video files.
Crash reports referencing video decoder frameworks such as CoreMedia, AVFoundation, or related media parsing libraries.
Delivery of unsolicited video attachments through messaging, email, or web download channels to unpatched devices.

Detection Strategies

Inventory Apple devices and compare installed OS versions against the fixed builds listed in Apple's advisories.
Monitor endpoint telemetry for abnormal media process crashes on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS.
Inspect gateway and email logs for video files delivered to unpatched endpoints from untrusted sources.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable crash log collection on managed Apple endpoints and forward reports to a centralized analytics platform.
Alert on repeated segmentation faults or EXC_BAD_ACCESS conditions in media-handling processes.
Track patch compliance for the fixed OS versions using mobile device management (MDM) and endpoint management tooling.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31233

Immediate Actions Required

Update all Apple endpoints to iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5 or 17.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, macOS Ventura 13.7.6, tvOS 18.5, visionOS 2.5, or watchOS 11.5.
Enforce update policies through MDM to prevent devices from remaining on vulnerable builds.
Restrict processing of video files from untrusted sources until patches are deployed fleet-wide.

Patch Information

Apple released fixes across its product line in May 2025. Refer to the vendor advisories for build details and download links: Apple Support Article #122404, #122405, #122716, #122717, #122718, #122720, #122721, and #122722.

Workarounds

Block or quarantine video attachments at email and web gateways for devices that cannot be patched immediately.
Educate users to avoid opening video files from unknown senders on unpatched devices.
Disable automatic media preview in messaging applications until updates are applied.

bash

# Verify macOS build against the fixed versions
sw_vers -productVersion

# Query iOS/iPadOS build via MDM inventory
# Fixed builds: iOS/iPadOS 18.5, iPadOS 17.7.7,
# macOS 15.5 / 14.7.6 / 13.7.6, tvOS 18.5, visionOS 2.5, watchOS 11.5