CVE-2024-23235 is a race condition vulnerability identified in Apple visionOS and several other Apple operating systems including macOS Sonoma 14.4, iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, watchOS 10.4, iOS 16.7.6, iPadOS 16.7.6, and tvOS 17.4. The vulnerability arises due to insufficient validation during a race condition scenario, which could allow a malicious application to access user-sensitive data improperly. This issue is classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.1, indicating high severity, with the vector string AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. This means the attack can be performed remotely over the network without requiring privileges or user interaction, but with high attack complexity. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data, potentially allowing unauthorized data access and manipulation. Apple has addressed this vulnerability by adding additional validation checks in the affected OS versions. No public exploits or active exploitation in the wild have been reported so far. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Apple platforms, including the newly introduced visionOS, which is targeted at augmented reality and mixed reality devices. This expands the attack surface to new device categories beyond traditional Apple hardware. The root cause being a race condition suggests a timing issue in the code that can be triggered to bypass normal security checks. Given the widespread use of Apple devices in enterprise and consumer environments, this vulnerability poses a significant risk if left unpatched.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-23235 is substantial due to the potential unauthorized access to sensitive user data across multiple Apple platforms. Organizations relying on Apple hardware and software, including emerging visionOS devices, may face data breaches compromising confidentiality and integrity of personal and corporate information. This could lead to intellectual property theft, privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), and reputational damage. The vulnerability's ability to affect availability also raises concerns about potential denial-of-service conditions or system instability. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and technology, which often use Apple devices and handle sensitive data, are particularly at risk. The lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for attackers, increasing the likelihood of exploitation once public exploits emerge. Additionally, the inclusion of visionOS expands the threat to organizations adopting augmented reality technologies, which are gaining traction in training, design, and remote collaboration. Failure to promptly patch could expose European enterprises to espionage, data leakage, and operational disruptions.

1. Immediately apply the security updates released by Apple for all affected operating systems, including visionOS 1.1, macOS Sonoma 14.4, iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, watchOS 10.4, iOS 16.7.6, iPadOS 16.7.6, and tvOS 17.4. 2. Enforce strict app vetting and installation policies, limiting app installations to trusted sources such as the official Apple App Store to reduce the risk of malicious apps exploiting this vulnerability. 3. Implement mobile device management (MDM) solutions to centrally manage patch deployment and monitor device compliance across the organization. 4. Monitor network traffic and device logs for unusual access patterns or attempts to exploit race conditions, focusing on apps requesting sensitive data access. 5. Educate users about the importance of installing updates promptly and avoiding untrusted applications, especially on new visionOS devices. 6. For organizations deploying visionOS devices, conduct thorough security assessments before integrating them into sensitive environments. 7. Maintain an inventory of Apple devices and their OS versions to ensure all vulnerable systems are identified and remediated. 8. Coordinate with Apple support and security advisories for any emerging exploit information or additional mitigations.