CVE-2025-24222 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS, specifically related to the processing of maliciously crafted web content. The root cause of the vulnerability is improper memory handling, categorized under CWE-119, which typically involves issues such as buffer overflows or improper bounds checking. When a user processes specially crafted web content, this flaw can trigger an unexpected process crash, leading to a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but affects availability by causing application or system instability. Exploitation requires no privileges (AV:N), has low attack complexity (AC:L), does not require authentication (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R), such as visiting a malicious website or opening malicious content. The vulnerability is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.5 through improved memory handling. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the medium CVSS score of 6.5 reflects the potential for disruption. The vulnerability affects unspecified versions of macOS prior to the patch release. Given the nature of the flaw, it is likely related to components handling web content, such as Safari or WebKit, which are integral to macOS web browsing and content rendering.

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily poses a risk of service disruption on macOS endpoints. Organizations relying on macOS devices for critical operations may experience unexpected application crashes or system instability if users access malicious web content. This could lead to productivity losses and potential operational delays. While the vulnerability does not allow data theft or system compromise, denial of service conditions can be leveraged in targeted attacks to disrupt business continuity. Sectors with high macOS adoption, such as creative industries, software development, and certain government agencies, may be more affected. Additionally, organizations with remote or hybrid workforces using macOS devices are at risk if users inadvertently visit malicious websites. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the ease of exploitation (no privileges required, low complexity) means attackers could develop exploits quickly if the vulnerability is disclosed widely.

European organizations should prioritize updating all macOS devices to version Sequoia 15.5 or later to apply the patch that fixes this vulnerability. Until patching is complete, organizations should implement network-level protections such as web content filtering and DNS filtering to block access to known malicious websites. Endpoint security solutions should be configured to detect and block suspicious web content or scripts. User awareness training should emphasize caution when browsing unknown or untrusted websites and opening web content. Additionally, organizations can consider restricting the use of macOS web browsers to trusted applications or sandboxing browsers to limit the impact of potential crashes. Monitoring system logs for unusual process crashes related to web content processing can help detect attempted exploitation. Finally, maintaining regular backups and incident response plans will help mitigate any operational impact from denial of service conditions.