CVE-2025-31237: Mounting a maliciously crafted AFP network share may lead to system termination in Apple macOS
This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6. Mounting a maliciously crafted AFP network share may lead to system termination.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2025-31237 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS systems that support the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) network shares. The vulnerability arises when a macOS device mounts a maliciously crafted AFP network share, which can trigger a system termination, effectively causing a denial of service (DoS). The root cause relates to insufficient validation or improper handling of AFP share data, categorized under CWE-404 (Improper Resource Shutdown or Release). This flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker with network access to an AFP share to cause a crash without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability affects multiple macOS versions prior to the patched releases: macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.5, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.6. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.5, reflecting a high severity due to the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and the impact limited to availability (system termination). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the potential for disruption exists given the ease of exploitation. The issue has been addressed by Apple through improved validation checks in the affected components handling AFP shares.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the availability of macOS systems that utilize AFP network shares, particularly in environments where AFP is still used for file sharing or legacy support. A successful exploitation could lead to system crashes, disrupting business operations, causing downtime, and potentially impacting critical workflows that depend on macOS devices. Sectors such as creative industries, education, and enterprises with mixed macOS and network storage environments may be particularly affected. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the availability disruption could lead to operational delays and increased support costs. Additionally, repeated exploitation attempts could degrade user trust and increase the risk of secondary issues such as data loss if systems are improperly rebooted or restored.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should prioritize updating macOS systems to the fixed versions: Ventura 13.7.6, Sequoia 15.5, or Sonoma 14.7.6 as soon as possible. Until patches are applied, organizations should consider disabling AFP network share mounting or restricting AFP traffic at the network perimeter using firewalls or network segmentation to limit exposure. Monitoring network traffic for unusual AFP connection attempts can help detect potential exploitation attempts. IT teams should audit macOS devices to identify those still using AFP shares and plan migration to more secure protocols such as SMB or NFS where feasible. Additionally, implementing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions that can detect abnormal system terminations or crashes may help in early identification of exploitation attempts. User education on avoiding mounting unknown or untrusted AFP shares can further reduce risk.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland
CVE-2025-31237: Mounting a maliciously crafted AFP network share may lead to system termination in Apple macOS
Description
This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6. Mounting a maliciously crafted AFP network share may lead to system termination.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2025-31237 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS systems that support the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) network shares. The vulnerability arises when a macOS device mounts a maliciously crafted AFP network share, which can trigger a system termination, effectively causing a denial of service (DoS). The root cause relates to insufficient validation or improper handling of AFP share data, categorized under CWE-404 (Improper Resource Shutdown or Release). This flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker with network access to an AFP share to cause a crash without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability affects multiple macOS versions prior to the patched releases: macOS Ventura 13.7.6, macOS Sequoia 15.5, and macOS Sonoma 14.7.6. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.5, reflecting a high severity due to the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and the impact limited to availability (system termination). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the potential for disruption exists given the ease of exploitation. The issue has been addressed by Apple through improved validation checks in the affected components handling AFP shares.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the availability of macOS systems that utilize AFP network shares, particularly in environments where AFP is still used for file sharing or legacy support. A successful exploitation could lead to system crashes, disrupting business operations, causing downtime, and potentially impacting critical workflows that depend on macOS devices. Sectors such as creative industries, education, and enterprises with mixed macOS and network storage environments may be particularly affected. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the availability disruption could lead to operational delays and increased support costs. Additionally, repeated exploitation attempts could degrade user trust and increase the risk of secondary issues such as data loss if systems are improperly rebooted or restored.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should prioritize updating macOS systems to the fixed versions: Ventura 13.7.6, Sequoia 15.5, or Sonoma 14.7.6 as soon as possible. Until patches are applied, organizations should consider disabling AFP network share mounting or restricting AFP traffic at the network perimeter using firewalls or network segmentation to limit exposure. Monitoring network traffic for unusual AFP connection attempts can help detect potential exploitation attempts. IT teams should audit macOS devices to identify those still using AFP shares and plan migration to more secure protocols such as SMB or NFS where feasible. Additionally, implementing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions that can detect abnormal system terminations or crashes may help in early identification of exploitation attempts. User education on avoiding mounting unknown or untrusted AFP shares can further reduce risk.
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- apple
- Date Reserved
- 2025-03-27T16:13:58.324Z
- Cisa Enriched
- true
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 682cd0fc1484d88663aecc0d
Added to database: 5/20/2025, 6:59:08 PM
Last enriched: 7/6/2025, 5:42:22 PM
Last updated: 8/16/2025, 5:55:52 PM
Views: 11
Actions
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