Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-24159

Apple Ipados ≤ 17.7.4

Published
27 January 2025
Modified
02 April 2026
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0033 25th percentile
Risk Priority 56 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-24159 is a high-severity Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Apple Ipados. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked at the 25th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2025-24159 is a validation issue addressed through improved logic in multiple Apple operating systems, enabling an app to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. The vulnerability affects iOS prior to version 18.3, iPadOS prior to 18.3 or 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia prior to 15.3, macOS Sonoma prior to 14.7.3, tvOS prior to 18.3, visionOS prior to 2.3, and watchOS prior to 11.3. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is associated with CWE-94 (code injection), though NVD provides no additional CWE details.

Exploitation requires a local attacker with low-complexity access and no privileges, but user interaction is necessary. Successful exploitation grants kernel-level code execution, resulting in high impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially allowing full system compromise on affected devices.

Apple security advisories recommend updating to the fixed versions: iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, or watchOS 11.3. Detailed patch information is available in the referenced support articles at https://support.apple.com/en-us/122066, https://support.apple.com/en-us/122067, https://support.apple.com/en-us/122068, https://support.apple.com/en-us/122069, and https://support.apple.com/en-us/122071.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A validation issue was addressed with improved logic. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, iPadOS 17.7.4, macOS Sequoia 15.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, watchOS 11.3. An app may be able to execute arbitrary…

more

code with kernel privileges.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.002 AppleScript Execution
Adversaries may abuse AppleScript for execution.
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.005 Visual Basic Execution
Adversaries may abuse Visual Basic (VB) for execution.
T1059.006 Python Execution
Adversaries may abuse Python commands and scripts for execution.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-27859Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2024-27856Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-41984Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2025-24243Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2024-23208Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2024-23278Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-23496Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-42890Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2023-42875Same product: Apple Ipados
CVE-2024-27857Same product: Apple Ipados

Affected Assets

apple
ipados
≤ 17.7.4 · 18.0 — 18.3
apple
iphone os
≤ 18.3
apple
macos
≤ 14.7.3 · 15.0 — 15.3
apple
tvos
≤ 18.3
apple
visionos
≤ 2.3
apple
watchos
≤ 11.3

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.3.1

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation finds code paths that accept and execute externally influenced strings.

Input validation directly stops untrusted data from being used to construct executable code without neutralization.

Least privilege limits the damage an injected code fragment can perform once executed.

Requiring documented secure development standards and tools enforces use of safe code-generation APIs and escaping.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

PR.PS-06's SDLC practices directly target injection flaws via secure coding and testing (mostly), yet as a single broad outcome it leaves many code-generation specifics unaddressed (partial).

PR.DS-10 none match
prevents

PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Banning unapproved code samples and unauthenticated web services, combined with secure-coding standards and SAST, prevents the dynamic generation or inclusion of attacker-supplied code.

none

Controls that restrict unauthorized or malicious code from being introduced via external networks or removable media limit opportunities for an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code.

References