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HighCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Memory corruption in Apple WebKit/JavaScriptCore web content processing

IdentifiersCVE-2025-31277CWE-787

CVE-2025-31277 is a WebKit/JavaScriptCore memory corruption vulnerability affecting Apple Safari and multiple Apple operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Apple states that processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to memory corruption and that the issue was addressed with improved memory handling. Supporting reporting further characterizes the bug as residing in JavaScriptCore and, in DarkSword exploitation, as a JIT optimization/type confusion issue used to obtain code execution in Safari’s renderer on devices running iOS versions prior to 18.6. WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit before 2.50.0 are also reported as affected.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can corrupt memory in the WebKit/JavaScriptCore context and, based on the supporting reporting, can provide remote code execution within Safari’s renderer/WebContent process when a target processes attacker-controlled web content. In observed exploit chains such as DarkSword, this bug served as the initial browser compromise stage and was chained with additional vulnerabilities to progress to sandbox escape, privilege escalation, kernel compromise, malware deployment, and large-scale theft of sensitive device data.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Where immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure to untrusted web content, especially on at-risk Apple devices. For high-risk users, enable Apple Lockdown Mode; supporting reporting states DarkSword does not execute when Lockdown Mode is enabled. Additional defensive measures include restricting browsing to trusted sites, using network controls such as Safe Browsing/domain blocking for known delivery infrastructure, and monitoring for signs of watering-hole compromise or malicious script injection on websites visited by users.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the vendor fixes. Apple reports the issue is fixed in Safari 18.6, iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, macOS Sequoia 15.6, tvOS 18.6, visionOS 2.6, and watchOS 11.6. For WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit, upgrade to version 2.50.0 or later. Prioritize patching on internet-exposed client devices and browsers, especially where Safari/WebKit content is processed from untrusted sites.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 1 candidate as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 1 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AppleIpadosoperating_system
AppleIphone Osoperating_system
AppleMacosoperating_system
AppleSafariapplication
AppleTvosoperating_system
AppleVisionosoperating_system
AppleWatchosoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.
Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence17

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware35

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures1

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity22

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.