CVE-2024-23264 is a vulnerability identified in Apple visionOS and several other Apple operating systems including macOS Monterey 12.7.4, macOS Ventura 13.6.5, macOS Sonoma 14.4, iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, iOS 16.7.6, iPadOS 16.7.6, and tvOS 17.4. The root cause is a validation issue related to insufficient input sanitization, which allows a malicious or compromised application to read restricted memory areas. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read), meaning the application can access memory beyond its intended boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, user data, or system internals. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3, reflecting a medium severity with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impact limited to confidentiality (C:L) without affecting integrity or availability. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without authentication or user action, increasing its risk profile. Apple has addressed this issue by improving input validation and releasing patches across affected platforms. No active exploitation has been reported, but the presence of this flaw in a modern OS designed for mixed reality environments like visionOS raises concerns about data confidentiality in emerging device categories. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Apple devices, including those used in enterprise and consumer environments, necessitating prompt patch management.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-23264 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information due to an application’s ability to read restricted memory. This could lead to leakage of confidential business data, user credentials, or cryptographic material, undermining data privacy and compliance with regulations such as GDPR. Although the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach risk is significant, especially in sectors handling sensitive or regulated data. Organizations deploying Apple visionOS devices in industrial, healthcare, or government contexts may face increased exposure. The ease of exploitation without user interaction or privileges means that malicious applications could silently extract data once installed. This elevates the threat in environments where application vetting or device management is lax. Additionally, the cross-platform nature of the vulnerability means that organizations using multiple Apple devices must ensure comprehensive patching to avoid lateral attack vectors. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future targeted attacks, especially as visionOS adoption grows in Europe.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation measures: 1) Immediately deploy the latest Apple security updates that address CVE-2024-23264 across all affected devices, including visionOS, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS. 2) Enforce strict application installation policies, allowing only trusted and vetted applications to run on visionOS and other Apple platforms to reduce the risk of malicious apps exploiting this vulnerability. 3) Utilize Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to monitor and control application permissions, restricting access to sensitive system resources and memory. 4) Conduct regular audits of installed applications and remove any unnecessary or suspicious software. 5) Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted applications, even though user interaction is not required for exploitation, to reduce the attack surface. 6) Monitor network traffic and device logs for unusual behavior that could indicate attempts to exploit memory reading vulnerabilities. 7) For organizations developing visionOS applications, apply secure coding practices focusing on input validation and memory safety to prevent similar vulnerabilities. 8) Maintain an incident response plan that includes procedures for addressing potential data leaks from memory disclosure vulnerabilities.