CVE-2025-24086 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS and related operating systems such as iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. The root cause is improper memory handling during image processing, classified under CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling). When a specially crafted image is processed, it can trigger a denial-of-service condition by exhausting system resources or causing a crash, thereby impacting system availability. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, meaning an attacker must convince a user to open or process a malicious image file. No elevated privileges are needed, but the attack vector is limited to local or user-initiated scenarios. Apple has released patches across multiple OS versions including macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, iPadOS 17.7.4, and others to address this issue by improving memory handling during image processing. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting medium severity, with the vector indicating low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction needed, and impact limited to availability. There are no known exploits in the wild, suggesting limited active exploitation currently. This vulnerability primarily threatens system availability, potentially causing application or system crashes when processing malicious images, which could disrupt business operations or critical services on affected Apple devices.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-24086 is operational disruption due to denial-of-service conditions on Apple devices. Organizations relying on macOS or other affected Apple operating systems in critical roles—such as in healthcare, finance, government, or infrastructure—may experience system crashes or unresponsiveness if malicious images are processed. This could lead to downtime, reduced productivity, and potential cascading effects if critical systems become unavailable. Since the vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity, data breaches or unauthorized modifications are not direct concerns. However, repeated or targeted exploitation could degrade trust in affected systems and increase support costs. The requirement for user interaction limits large-scale automated attacks but does not eliminate risk from phishing or social engineering campaigns delivering malicious images. European organizations with extensive Apple device deployments should prioritize patching to maintain availability and operational continuity.

To mitigate CVE-2025-24086, European organizations should: 1) Deploy the latest security updates from Apple promptly across all affected devices, including macOS Ventura 13.7.3, macOS Sonoma 14.7.3, and other patched OS versions. 2) Implement strict email and file filtering to block or quarantine suspicious image files, especially from untrusted sources. 3) Educate users about the risks of opening unsolicited or unexpected image files and encourage cautious behavior to reduce the likelihood of user interaction with malicious content. 4) Employ endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior related to image processing or resource exhaustion. 5) Monitor system logs and performance metrics for signs of denial-of-service attempts or crashes related to image handling. 6) Consider application whitelisting or sandboxing for image processing applications to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 7) Maintain regular backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from any disruption caused by exploitation attempts.