CVE-2025-31206 is a type confusion vulnerability identified in Safari running on Apple tvOS and other Apple operating systems. The root cause is improper state handling during the processing of web content, which can be maliciously crafted to trigger a type confusion error. This leads to an unexpected crash of the Safari browser, affecting the availability of the service on the device. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-843 (Type Confusion) and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.3, indicating medium severity. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R), such as visiting a malicious website. The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is limited to availability (A:L), with no confidentiality or integrity impact. Apple has released patches in tvOS 18.5, watchOS 11.5, iOS 18.5, iPadOS 17.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.5, visionOS 2.5, and Safari 18.5 to address this issue by improving state handling to prevent the type confusion. No exploits have been reported in the wild, but the vulnerability could be leveraged to cause denial of service on affected devices. The affected versions are unspecified but presumably all versions prior to the patched releases.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-31206 is a potential denial of service on Apple tvOS devices due to unexpected Safari crashes. This can disrupt media streaming, digital signage, or other tvOS-based applications critical in sectors such as broadcasting, hospitality, and retail. Although the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, repeated crashes can degrade user experience and operational continuity. Organizations relying on Apple tvOS devices for customer-facing services or internal communications may face service interruptions. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering could be used to lure users to malicious web content, increasing the risk of targeted disruption. Since no known exploits exist yet, the immediate risk is moderate, but the potential for future exploitation remains. The impact is more pronounced in environments with high Apple device usage and where tvOS is integral to business operations.

European organizations should prioritize updating all Apple devices, especially those running tvOS, to the patched versions (tvOS 18.5 and equivalents) as soon as possible. Network-level controls should be implemented to restrict access to untrusted or suspicious web content on tvOS devices, including the use of web filtering and DNS filtering solutions. User awareness training should emphasize the risks of interacting with unknown web links on Apple TV devices. For environments where patching is delayed, consider isolating tvOS devices on segmented networks to limit exposure. Monitoring device logs for repeated Safari crashes can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their incident response plans to include scenarios involving denial of service on media devices. Since the vulnerability requires user interaction, reducing the attack surface by disabling or limiting Safari usage on tvOS where feasible can also mitigate risk.