CVE-2025-24213 is a type confusion vulnerability classified under CWE-843, affecting Apple tvOS and other Apple operating systems such as iOS, iPadOS, macOS Sequoia, watchOS, Safari, and visionOS. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of floating-point data types, leading to type confusion that can cause memory corruption. This memory corruption can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service by crashing affected systems. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction but does not require privileges, making it a significant risk especially on devices where users might be tricked into interacting with malicious content or applications. Apple addressed this vulnerability by improving the handling of floats in the affected systems, releasing patches in tvOS 18.5, Safari 18.5, iPadOS 17.7.7, iOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, watchOS 11.5, and visionOS 2.5. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity level, with attack vector local, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. This vulnerability highlights the importance of robust type safety and memory management in operating system components that handle complex data types like floats.

The potential impact of CVE-2025-24213 is significant for organizations relying on Apple devices across multiple platforms. Successful exploitation can lead to full compromise of affected devices, including unauthorized access to sensitive data (confidentiality), modification or corruption of data (integrity), and disruption of device functionality (availability). This can affect enterprise environments where Apple devices are used for critical business operations, media consumption, or development. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code locally, potentially pivoting to further attacks within a network. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering could be used to trigger exploitation. The broad range of affected Apple operating systems increases the attack surface, impacting organizations with diverse Apple device deployments. Failure to patch could expose organizations to data breaches, operational disruptions, and reputational damage.

Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the security updates released by Apple in tvOS 18.5, Safari 18.5, iPadOS 17.7.7, iOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, watchOS 11.5, and visionOS 2.5. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application whitelisting and restrict installation of untrusted applications to reduce the risk of exploitation. User education on phishing and social engineering risks is critical since user interaction is required for exploitation. Monitoring and logging local user activities on Apple devices can help detect suspicious behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Network segmentation can limit lateral movement if a device is compromised. For high-security environments, consider disabling or restricting features that process untrusted floating-point data or limit local user privileges where feasible. Regular vulnerability scanning and asset inventory to identify unpatched Apple devices will aid in timely remediation.