CVE-2025-24120 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that allows an attacker to cause unexpected application termination, effectively resulting in a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. The root cause is improper management of object lifetimes, categorized under CWE-772, which can lead to use-after-free or similar memory management issues causing app crashes. This vulnerability affects multiple macOS versions prior to the patched releases: Ventura 13.7.3, Sequoia 15.3, and Sonoma 14.7.3. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring any privileges or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). The impact is limited to availability, with no direct confidentiality or integrity compromise reported. Although no known exploits have been observed in the wild, the high CVSS score of 7.5 reflects the ease of exploitation and the potential for widespread disruption. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple through improved object lifetime management, preventing attackers from triggering the unexpected termination of applications. This flaw could be leveraged by attackers to disrupt services, particularly in environments where macOS applications are critical to business operations or user productivity.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-24120 is the potential for denial-of-service conditions caused by unexpected application crashes on affected macOS systems. This can disrupt business continuity, especially in sectors relying heavily on macOS environments such as creative industries, software development, and certain enterprise IT infrastructures. The lack of required authentication and user interaction increases the risk of remote exploitation, potentially allowing attackers to target vulnerable systems over the network. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, availability degradation can lead to operational delays, loss of productivity, and potential financial losses. Organizations running critical services or workflows on macOS should consider this vulnerability a significant threat. Additionally, the absence of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for proactive patching before active exploitation occurs.

European organizations should immediately prioritize deploying the security updates released by Apple for macOS Ventura 13.7.3, Sequoia 15.3, and Sonoma 14.7.3 to remediate this vulnerability. Beyond patching, organizations should implement network-level protections such as intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to monitor for unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Restricting unnecessary network exposure of macOS systems, especially those running critical applications, can reduce the attack surface. Regularly auditing and inventorying macOS devices to ensure they are running supported and updated versions will help maintain security posture. Additionally, organizations should educate users and IT staff about the importance of timely updates and monitor security advisories for any emerging exploit reports related to CVE-2025-24120. Implementing application whitelisting and sandboxing where feasible can also limit the impact of unexpected application crashes.