Recently, Apple fixed a dangerous security flaw identified as CVE-2025-24085 that affected almost every major Apple device, from iPhones and Macs to Apple Watches and Apple TVs. In this post, we’ll break down what this vulnerability is, how attackers could exploit it, and why it’s critical to update your devices right away.

What is CVE-2025-24085?

This bug is classified as a use-after-free vulnerability. In simple terms, this means that an app could keep using a piece of memory after it's been “freed,” or marked as no longer needed. If attackers can exploit this, they might get your device to run malicious code with more privileges than they should have.

Apple said

> *A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 17.2.*
>
> — Apple Security releases

tvOS: 18.3 and later

> 👉 If you haven’t updated your device to one of these versions or later, you could be at risk.

Let’s see a basic C-style code example to show what can go wrong

void vulnerable_function() {
    char *ptr = malloc(256);
    strcpy(ptr, "Hello World!");

    free(ptr); // memory is freed

    // use-after-free bug: pointer is being used after free
    printf("%s\n", ptr);
}

In this snippet, after ptr has been freed, it still points to the same place in memory. If an attacker can control what goes into that memory after it's freed, he can get the program to misbehave—sometimes in a way that lets him run his own code with elevated permissions.

Exploit Details

While technical exploit details for CVE-2025-24085 specifically are not yet public, *use-after-free* bugs generally allow attackers to:

Access sensitive user data or take over the device completely.

According to Apple’s official notice, this vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild before iOS 17.2. That means hackers were already using it to attack real users—one of the worst-case scenarios for any security bug.

Deploy a malicious app (or possibly abuse a compromised app or webpage).

2. Trigger the use-after-free: Get the system to free a chunk of memory, but still use a reference to it.

Rewrite the freed memory: Trick the program into using attacker-controlled data.

4. Escalate privileges: The attacker’s code is now executed with higher permissions, bypassing built-in security features.

Real-World Impact

*Use-after-free* vulnerabilities have been behind many historical security crises, from browser exploits to jailbreaks. What makes CVE-2025-24085 particularly concerning is:

What Should You Do?

Update NOW!
If your device isn’t running the fixed system version (see list above), update as soon as possible. This automatically closes the security hole.

Delete Suspicious Apps
Remove any app you don’t recognize, especially if it’s not from the App Store.

Be Skeptical of Updates from Outside the App Store
Don’t install software from sources you don’t trust.

Resources and Further Reading

- Apple Security Updates
- CVE-2025-24085 at MITRE (official registry—may update with more technical details)
- OWASP: Use After Free Exploit

Conclusion

*CVE-2025-24085* was a serious bug that could let attackers hijack Apple devices. Because Apple confirmed it was actively exploited, the risk is real—even if you don’t think you’re a target. Good memory management now protects devices, but only if you install the fix.

Bottom line: If you’re on Apple, update right now. Stay safe!


*Copyright © 2024 — This post is exclusive to this platform. Referenced links and summarized code are for educational use. Always apply vendor security updates ASAP.*

Timeline

Published on: 01/27/2025 22:15:14 UTC
Last modified on: 01/30/2025 02:00:02 UTC