CVE-2025-24131 is a vulnerability identified in Apple visionOS and other Apple operating systems including iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, and tvOS 18.3. The root cause is improper memory handling, specifically a buffer overflow condition classified under CWE-120. This flaw allows an attacker positioned with network privileges—meaning they can intercept or manipulate network traffic—to trigger a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by causing the affected system to crash or become unresponsive. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but severely affects availability. Exploitation does not require user interaction, increasing the risk if an attacker gains the necessary network position. Apple has mitigated this vulnerability by improving memory management in the affected OS versions. No public exploits have been reported, but the medium CVSS score of 6.5 reflects the moderate risk due to the requirement of privileged network access and the impact limited to availability. This vulnerability is significant for environments where Apple devices are critical, especially in networked or enterprise settings where DoS could disrupt operations.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-24131 is the potential for denial-of-service attacks that could disrupt business operations, particularly in environments heavily reliant on Apple devices running visionOS or the specified OS versions. Availability disruptions could affect user productivity, service continuity, and operational stability. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure that utilize Apple ecosystems may face operational risks if attackers exploit this vulnerability. Since the attack requires privileged network position, organizations with less secure internal networks or those exposed to untrusted networks are at higher risk. The lack of impact on confidentiality and integrity reduces risks related to data breaches but does not diminish the operational threat posed by DoS. The absence of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but patching remains critical to prevent future exploitation.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Prioritize updating all Apple devices to the fixed versions: visionOS 2.3, iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, and tvOS 18.3 to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2) Restrict network access and monitor for unusual traffic patterns that could indicate attempts to exploit network-level vulnerabilities, especially on internal and wireless networks. 3) Employ network segmentation and zero-trust principles to limit privileged network positions that attackers could leverage. 4) Use intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tuned to detect anomalous behavior consistent with DoS attempts targeting Apple devices. 5) Educate IT and security teams about the vulnerability and ensure incident response plans include scenarios involving Apple device DoS. 6) Regularly audit and harden network infrastructure to reduce the risk of attackers gaining privileged network access. 7) Maintain asset inventories to quickly identify and update vulnerable Apple devices across the organization.