Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2025-31251 is an Apple media-processing flaw. If a user opens a maliciously crafted media file, an app may crash or process memory may be corrupted. Apple fixed it across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS releases in May 2025.
Executive priority
Treat as a routine but important Apple patching item. Business urgency rises for fleets handling untrusted media, executives, journalists, developers, or high-risk users. No public source in the bundle confirms active exploitation.
Technical view
Apple describes an input sanitization issue triggered by processing malicious media. The CVSS 3.1 score is 5.5, with local attack vector and required user interaction. Impact is listed as high confidentiality, no integrity or availability impact in the CVSS vector, though Apple notes app termination or memory corruption.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely where Apple devices remain below the fixed versions: iOS/iPadOS 18.5, iPadOS 17.7.7, macOS 15.5, 14.7.6, 13.7.6, tvOS 18.5, visionOS 2.5, or watchOS 11.5.
Exploitation context
Sources do not state active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked in KEV. Exploitation requires a user to process a malicious media file, making phishing, messaging, downloads, or shared files plausible delivery paths without confirming observed attacks.
Researcher notes
Apple credits improved input sanitization but provides limited component detail in the supplied sources. The CVE metadata lists CWE-400, while Apple’s description emphasizes malformed media leading to termination or memory corruption. Avoid assuming code execution without further vendor evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Update Apple devices to the fixed OS versions or later.
- Prioritize devices used for email, messaging, browsing, or external media handling.
- If updates are delayed, limit opening untrusted media files.
- Monitor Apple security guidance for any revised advisories.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Apple OS versions across managed devices.
- Confirm each device meets or exceeds the fixed version listed by Apple.
- Review MDM compliance reports for lagging endpoints.
- Check security tooling for unusual app crashes linked to media handling.
Public sources used
- CVE Program
- CVE List V5
- Apple Security Updates - iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5
- Apple Security Updates - iPadOS 17.7.7
- Apple Security Updates - macOS Sequoia 15.5
- Apple Security Updates - macOS Sonoma 14.7.6
- Apple Security Updates - macOS Ventura 13.7.6
- Apple Security Updates - tvOS 18.5
- Apple Security Updates - visionOS 2.5
- Apple Security Updates - watchOS 11.5
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-400: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2025-31251 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N1.83.6CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122404CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122405CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122716CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122717CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122718CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122720CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122721CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/122722CVE reference, apple
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.