Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is riddled with vulnerabilities that could potentially compromise systems and leak sensitive data. The CVE-2025-31246 is one such vulnerability that affects macOS systems and can lead to serious damage if not addressed promptly. This vulnerability primarily affects users connecting to a malicious Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) server, leading to kernel memory corruption. It is a high-risk vulnerability, underscored by its CVSS severity score of 8.8, and poses a significant threat to macOS users globally.
This vulnerability is especially dangerous because it could allow cybercriminals to compromise systems or leak data potentially. It is therefore essential for macOS users to understand the nature of this vulnerability and take necessary steps to mitigate its risks.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-31246
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
macOS Sequoia | Up to 15.4
macOS Sonoma | Up to 14.7.5
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of a flaw in the memory handling mechanism when a macOS system connects to a malicious AFP server. The AFP protocol, which is used for file services on macOS, does not properly manage kernel memory under certain conditions, leading to corruption. An attacker could potentially use this flaw to cause unpredictable system behavior, including system crashes, data leakage, or even complete system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
The below pseudocode demonstrates a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. In this case, the malicious code is sent via an AFP connection. Please note that this is a simple conceptual representation and actual attacks may be more complex and sophisticated.
#!/bin/sh
# Connect to the malicious AFP server
afp_connect "afp://malicious.server.com"
# Send malicious payload that corrupts the kernel memory
send_payload "{ 'corrupt_memory': True }"This script makes a connection to a malicious AFP server and sends a payload designed to corrupt kernel memory. This could potentially lead to system instability, crashes, or data leakage.