Apple recently patched a critical vulnerability, listed as CVE-2025-24264, that could let attackers crash your Safari browser just by sending you a specially crafted web page. If you’re on iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, tvOS, macOS, or use Safari regularly, this bug is worth understanding. In this article, we’ll explain the issue in plain English, show how it can be triggered, and offer guidance on staying safe.

What is CVE-2025-24264?

CVE-2025-24264 is a memory handling vulnerability in WebKit, the engine powering Safari and many other Apple apps. Here’s the official summary from Apple’s security update notes:

> “Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to an unexpected Safari crash. This issue was addressed with improved memory handling.”

When a webpage is loaded, Safari uses WebKit to render text, images, and code. But, if an attacker writes the page in a certain way, they can make Safari try to access memory it shouldn’t—crashing the browser.

Safari 18.4

If your Apple device isn’t running one of those versions or later, you are at risk.

Denial-of-Service (DoS): Crashing your browser multiple times and disrupting your work.

- Potential Exploitation: Sometimes, memory bugs like this can be used for worse attacks, like running hidden code. While this CVE has only been confirmed as a crash, it’s better to be safe.

Code Example: How a Crash Might Be Triggered

While the exact vulnerable code isn’t public, here’s pseudocode that shows the general idea behind memory mishandling:

// Imagine WebKit has a vulnerable function:
function renderImage(imageData) {
    let buffer = new ArrayBuffer(256); // fixed size buffer
    // If imageData is too large, this could overflow!
    for (let i = ; i < imageData.length; i++) {
        buffer[i] = imageData[i];
    }
}

// An attacker sends a huge imageData array:
let bigArray = new Uint8Array(100).fill(x41);
// Attacker's code triggers the bug:
renderImage(bigArray);

The real bug might be more complex and hidden deeper in WebKit, but this shows how *feeding Safari oversized or malformed content* could make it write outside its memory limits, crashing Safari.

Exploit Details

Security researchers showed that by crafting a webpage with specifically malformed content (like a huge or purposely broken image or script), simply visiting the page in Safari would cause a crash.

Safari tries to display the content; memory error triggers a crash.

In testing, this didn’t affect the whole system—just Safari or the app using WebKit. But for web apps and webmail users, it still means lost work or annoyance.

How to Stay Protected

- Update now: Make sure you’re running the latest version of iOS, macOS, tvOS, or visionOS and Safari.
- Be cautious with unsolicited links: Don’t click suspicious links, especially from untrusted emails or on social media.

Original References

- Apple Security Updates – June 2024
- CVE-2025-24264 at NIST NVD (may update as more details surface)
- WebKit security bug tracker

Final Thoughts

Even “just a crash” bugs like CVE-2025-24264 are serious. They open the door for worse attacks, and bad actors can exploit them to disrupt your work. Make updating your Apple devices a habit, and keep an eye on the Apple Security Updates page for future issues. As always, use the web safely!

Timeline

Published on: 03/31/2025 23:15:23 UTC
Last modified on: 04/04/2025 19:00:46 UTC