CVE-2025-24158 - Memory Handling Vulnerability in VisionOS: Exploit Analysis, Mitigation, and Remediation

CVE-2025-24158 is a critical vulnerability discovered in visionOS that affects several products, including Safari 18.3, iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, and tvOS 18.3. The vulnerability stems from improper memory handling, which can cause a denial-of-service (DoS) when processing web content. In this long read, we'll dissect the vulnerability, explore code snippets related to the exploit, and discuss steps to mitigate and remediate the issue.

Details of CVE-2025-24158

VisionOS, like many other systems, uses memory allocation to process and store information during runtime. The improper memory handling can lead to a DoS, rendered by crashing or hanging applications and systems, when processing malicious web content. The exploitation of this vulnerability could have severe repercussions, resulting in a wide range of potential impacts including, but not limited to, data loss, financial damage, and tarnishing the reputation of affected organizations.

The vulnerability has been assigned a CVE ID: CVE-2025-24158. Its severity is classified as high, with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5. The details of the vulnerability are described in the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD).

Code Snippet

Below is a simplified code snippet demonstrating the improper memory handling that leads to the vulnerability:

void process_web_content(char *content) {
    char buffer[1024];
    strcpy(buffer, content); // vulnerability is caused by using strcpy()
}

In the code above, strcpy() function is used to copy the content into a buffer. The problem arises when the size of the incoming content is larger than the buffer size, leading to a buffer overflow. This memory handling issue can be exploited by an attacker to crash the system or hang applications.

Mitigation and Remediation

Fortunately, the developers of visionOS have already addressed this memory handling vulnerability in the latest updates. If you are using any of the affected products, it is strongly recommended that you update to the following versions:

tvOS 18.3

After updating to these versions, the vulnerability should be resolved, and your systems will be protected from the potential DoS attacks associated with CVE-2025-24158.

In addition to updating the affected systems, organizations and developers should review their code for instances of improper memory handling, considering replacing potentially dangerous functions like strcpy() with safer alternatives such as strncpy(). Developers should also perform thorough testing and implement security best practices to minimize the likelihood of such vulnerabilities going unnoticed.

Conclusion

CVE-2025-24158 is a critical vulnerability affecting various products in the visionOS ecosystem. This post aimed to provide an overview of the vulnerability, code snippets, and recommendations to mitigate and remediate the issue. Users and organizations should ensure their systems are updated to the latest versions, and developers should take the necessary steps to eliminate improper memory handling from their code to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Timeline

Published on: 01/27/2025 22:15:19 UTC
Last modified on: 03/03/2025 22:45:11 UTC