CVE-2025-24188: Safari Crash Vulnerability Due to Malicious Web Content
This blog post discusses CVE-2025-24188, a vulnerability affecting Safari browsers that can be triggered by processing maliciously crafted web content. This can lead to an unexpected Safari crash.
Vulnerability Details
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-24188
- Description: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to an unexpected Safari crash. A logic issue was addressed with improved checks.
- CVSS Score and Vector:
- CVSS 3.1 Score: 6.5 (Medium)
- CVSS 3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- Explanation: This vulnerability has a Medium severity because while it doesn't compromise the confidentiality or integrity of your data, it can cause a denial-of-service condition (the Safari crash) through network-based attack vector, requiring user interaction (clicking a malicious link).
- Exploit Requirements: Requires a user to interact with maliciously crafted web content, such as clicking a link or visiting a compromised website.
- Affected Vendor, Product, Version: Apple Safari versions prior to 18.6, macOS Sequoia prior to 15.6.
- CWE:
- CWE-703: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions
- Explanation: This CWE describes a situation where the software doesn't correctly manage unusual circumstances, leading to unexpected behaviors, such as a crash.
Timeline of Events
- 2025-07-30: CVE-2025-24188 Published.
Exploitability & Real-World Risk
The exploitability of this vulnerability is relatively high, as attackers can embed malicious code in websites or deliver it through phishing campaigns. If a user visits the malicious site, Safari will attempt to process the crafted content, leading to a crash. While the crash itself may not directly lead to data theft, it can be disruptive and potentially be used as part of a larger attack chain. For example, repeated crashes could be used to frustrate users or mask other malicious activities running in the background.
Recommendations
- Update Safari: Upgrade to Safari version 18.6 or later.
- Update macOS: Upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.6 or later.
- Be Cautious: Exercise caution when clicking on links or visiting unfamiliar websites.
Technical Insight
The vulnerability stems from a logic issue in how Safari handles certain types of web content. Specifically, there is an improper handling of exceptional conditions (CWE-703) during content processing. Attackers can craft specific HTML, JavaScript, or other web resources that trigger this flawed logic, leading to the browser process terminating unexpectedly.
Credit to Researcher(s)
The details of the researcher(s) responsible for discovering and reporting this vulnerability are not currently available.
References
Tags
CVE-2025-24188, Safari, Crash, Vulnerability, Apple, macOS, Web Content, Security
Summary: CVE-2025-24188 describes a vulnerability in Safari where processing malicious web content can lead to a crash. Users are advised to update to Safari 18.6 or macOS Sequoia 15.6 to mitigate this risk.
CVE ID: CVE-2025-24188
Risk Analysis: A successful exploit results in a denial-of-service (Safari crash). While not directly leading to data compromise, it can be disruptive and potentially part of a larger attack chain.
Recommendation: Update to Safari 18.6 or macOS Sequoia 15.6 to patch the vulnerability. Exercise caution when visiting unfamiliar websites.
Timeline
- 2025-07-30: CVE-2025-24188 Published