iOS and iPadOS: Use After Free
CVE-2025-24252 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in iOS and iPadOS from Apple, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited from the same local network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 18.4 as the first without the flaw, so updating iOS and iPadOS to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.31% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 71% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update iOS and iPadOS to 18.4 or a later version.
- Update iPadOS to 17.7.6 or a later version.
- Update macOS to 13.7.5 or 14.7.5 or 15.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on support.apple.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | iOS and iPadOS | before 18.4 | 18.4 |
| Apple | iPadOS | before 17.7.6 | 17.7.6 |
| Apple | macOS | before 13.7.5; before 14.7.5; before 15.4 | 13.7.5, 14.7.5, 15.4 |
| Apple | tvOS | before 18.4 | 18.4 |
| Apple | visionOS | before 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Apple | Iphone OS | before 18.4 | 18.4 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- AdjacentThe attacker must be on the same local network segment.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).
Official description
A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, iPadOS 17.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.4, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, tvOS 18.4, visionOS 2.4. An attacker on the local network may be able to corrupt process memory.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
- support.apple.com/en-us/122371Release Notes
- support.apple.com/en-us/122372Release Notes
- support.apple.com/en-us/122373Release Notes
- support.apple.com/en-us/122374Release Notes
- support.apple.com/en-us/122375Release Notes
- support.apple.com/en-us/122377Release Notes
- support.apple.com/en-us/122378Release Notes
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in iOS and iPadOS
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
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