A critical security vulnerability in Apple’s XNU kernel has been disclosed. It allows local attackers to escalate privileges and potentially execute arbitrary code with kernel-level access. 

The flaw, identified as CVE-2025-31219, represents a significant security risk across multiple Apple operating systems and has been assigned a CVSS score of 8.8, indicating high severity.

Security researchers Michael DePlante (@izobashi) and Lucas Leong (@wmliang) of Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative discovered the vulnerability, which was publicly disclosed on May 21, 2025, following responsible disclosure practices. 

Apple has acknowledged the issue and released patches across its ecosystem to address the security flaw.

Apple XNU Kernel Flaw (CVE-2025-31219)

The vulnerability stems from a race condition in the XNU kernel’s vm_map memory management subsystem, explicitly affecting the handling of virtual memory allocations. 

According to the Zero Day Initiative advisory Report, “the specific flaw exists within the handling of virtual memory allocations in the macOS kernel. The issue results from the lack of proper locking when performing operations on an object”.

This race condition vulnerability is particularly concerning because it involves improper memory handling, possibly leading to memory corruption scenarios. 

The flaw allows attackers with low-privileged code execution capabilities to leverage the race condition to escalate their privileges to kernel level, effectively gaining complete control over the affected system.

Historical context reveals that XNU kernel race conditions have been a recurring security concern. 

Similar vulnerabilities have been documented in the past, including the notable vm_map_copy optimization race condition that was previously exploited. These demonstrate the ongoing challenges in securing kernel-level memory management operations.

Risk FactorsDetailsAffected ProductswatchOS 11.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, tvOS 18.5, iPadOS 17.7.7, iOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, visionOS 2.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.6ImpactAllows attackers to cause unexpected system termination, corrupt kernel memory, and disrupt system stabilityExploit PrerequisitesLocal attacker must have low-privileged code execution capabilityCVSS 3.1 Score8.8 (High)

Affected Systems and CVSS Impact Assessment

The vulnerability affects a comprehensive range of Apple’s operating system ecosystem, with patches released for watchOS 11.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, tvOS 18.5, iPadOS 17.7.7, iOS 18.5, macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Ventura 13.7.6 and visionOS 2.5. 

The widespread impact across Apple’s product lineup underscores the fundamental nature of the XNU kernel vulnerability.

The CVSS 3.1 vector string AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H indicates that while the vulnerability requires local access and low privileges to exploit, it has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability once successfully triggered. 

The “Changed” scope rating suggests that the vulnerability can affect resources beyond its initial security context, which is typical for kernel-level privilege escalation flaws.

Security researchers note that the vulnerability “allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Apple macOS. 

An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system to exploit this vulnerability”. This prerequisite means that the vulnerability would typically be used as part of a multi-stage attack chain.

Mitigation Strategies

Apple has addressed the vulnerability through improved memory handling mechanisms across all affected platforms. 

The company’s security advisory states that “the issue was addressed with improved memory handling” and provides specific version numbers for each patched operating system.

Users should immediately update their devices to the latest available versions: macOS Sequoia 15.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.6, iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, watchOS 11.5, tvOS 18.5, and visionOS 2.5. 

Organizations should prioritize these updates, particularly for systems exposed to potential attackers who could achieve initial code execution through other vectors.

No evidence currently suggests active exploitation in the wild, making immediate patching the primary recommended mitigation strategy.

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