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How CVE-2025-31233 Works
This vulnerability stems from improper input sanitization when processing video files in Apple’s multimedia frameworks. A maliciously crafted video file triggers memory corruption during decoding, leading to unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution. The flaw resides in the video parsing logic, where malformed metadata or oversized chunks bypass boundary checks, corrupting heap memory. Attackers exploit this by embedding malicious payloads in video containers (e.g., MP4, MOV), which, when parsed, overwrite critical pointers or execute shellcode due to insufficient sandboxing in affected frameworks (e.g., CoreMedia).
DailyCVE Form
Platform: Apple OS Stack
Version: watchOS <11.5, macOS <14.7.6, tvOS <18.5, iOS/iPadOS <17.7.7/18.5
Vulnerability: Memory Corruption
Severity: Critical
Date: 05/27/2025
Prediction: Patch rollout completes by 06/10/2025
What Undercode Say:
Exploitation:
- Payload Crafting: Use tools like `ffmpeg` to inject malicious metadata:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -metadata comment="$(python -c 'print("\x41"1024)')" exploit.mp4
2. Heap Spraying: Trigger via Safari/Photos app:
<video src="exploit.mp4" autoplay></video>
Detection:
1. Log Analysis: Check for crashes in `com.apple.CoreMedia`:
log show --predicate 'process == "CoreMedia"' --last 24h
2. YARA Rule: Detect malicious video files:
rule apple_video_corruption {
strings: $meta = { 00 00 00 1C 66 74 79 70 }
condition: $meta at 0 and filesize > 100MB
}
Mitigation:
1. Patch Immediately:
softwareupdate --list --include-config-data
2. Runtime Protection: Enable `Hardened Runtime` in Xcode:
<dict><key>com.apple.security.cs.allow-unsigned-executable-memory</key><false/></dict>
3. Network Filtering: Block suspicious video downloads:
nft add rule ip filter INPUT tcp dport 80 payload \ @http,80,relative "GET /..mp4 HTTP/1.1" drop
Forensics:
1. Memory Dump: Use `lldb` to analyze crashes:
lldb -c /cores/core.CoreMedia.12345
2. Entropy Check: Identify packed payloads:
import math
with open("exploit.mp4", "rb") as f:
print(math.log(sum(ord(c) for c in f.read()), 2))
References:
- Apple Advisory: HT202525
- CVSS 4.0: `9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H)`
– CWE: `CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within Memory Bounds`
Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
Extra Source Hub:
Undercode
