Introduction
A critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-24196, has been discovered in Apple’s macOS, affecting versions prior to macOS Sequoia 15.4 and macOS Sonoma 14.7.5. This vulnerability allows an attacker with user privileges to read kernel memory, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive system information. This issue has been assigned a CVSS score of 9.8, marking it as a critical security risk. Affected users should immediately update their systems to mitigate this risk.
Technical Overview
The vulnerability stems from a type confusion issue, which was addressed by Apple with improved memory handling. When exploited, this flaw allows an attacker with user privileges to read kernel memory, thus gaining unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. This issue impacts multiple macOS versions, and it is critical for users running older versions to update to the latest versions to secure their systems.
Impact and CVSS Score
The CVSS score for CVE-2025-24196 is 9.8, reflecting its critical severity. The CVSS vector string for this vulnerability is:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Exploitability: This vulnerability can be exploited remotely (Network attack vector).
- Complexity: It has low complexity, making it easier to exploit.
- User Interaction: No user interaction is required, increasing the risk of exploitation.
- Impact: The flaw significantly affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.
Apple’s Response
Apple has released updates to address this vulnerability in macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.5. These updates introduce improved memory handling to prevent exploitation of this flaw and ensure the security of sensitive user data. It is strongly recommended that all users of affected macOS versions update to the latest releases to secure their devices.
Conclusion
Given the severity of CVE-2025-24196, users of the affected macOS versions are strongly advised to update their systems as soon as possible. Regular system updates are crucial for maintaining the security and integrity of your data and protecting your systems from potential exploitation.