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Appleās AirPlay protocol, a cornerstone of wireless media sharing across Apple devices, has been found to harbor a series of severe security flaws collectively known as AirBorne. These vulnerabilities, identified by researchers at Oligo Security, expose both Apple and third-party devices to remote code execution (RCE), data theft, and device hijacking ā even without user interaction.
The AirBorne vulnerabilities represent one of the most serious threats to the Apple ecosystem in recent memory. Affecting a vast range of devices powered by the AirPlay protocol or SDK, these flaws open the door to sophisticated cyberattacks across consumer and enterprise networks. While Apple has since patched many of the issues, the potential for exploitation remains high due to the sheer scale of AirPlay-enabled devices in use today.
the AirBorne Threat: What You Should Know
- Who discovered it: The flaws were uncovered by cybersecurity firm Oligo Security, which worked in collaboration with Apple under responsible disclosure practices.
Scope: AirBorne impacts Appleās native devices (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS) and any third-party hardware that integrates the AirPlay SDK.
Number of flaws: A total of 23 vulnerabilities were identified; 17 were confirmed with assigned CVEs.
– Highlighted CVEs:
- CVE-2025-24252: A critical use-after-free vulnerability in macOS, enabling arbitrary code execution remotely.
CVE-2025-24132: A stack-based buffer overflow in the AirPlay SDK affecting speakers and receivers, allowing attackers to hijack devices without user interaction.
Zero-click and wormable: Two of the vulnerabilities are especially dangerous because they allow zero-click, wormable RCE. This means attackers can take over devices and propagate malware automatically across networks, much like traditional computer worms.
Propagation vectors: Attacks can spread via public or enterprise Wi-Fi, making any connected device a potential infection vector, especially when AirPlay is enabled in open network settings.
Exploitation outcomes: These include unauthorized media playback, access to local files, bypassing of access control lists (ACLs), data theft, microphone activation (eavesdropping), and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
Chained attacks: When combined (e.g., CVE-2025-24252 + CVE-2025-24206), attackers can create sophisticated zero-click payloads that compromise entire networks ā ideal for ransomware or supply-chain infiltration.
Scale of impact: Apple has over 2.35 billion active devices globally, with over 100 million Macs and tens of millions of third-party AirPlay-enabled devices. The scale of this vulnerability is staggering.
– Recommendations for users:
– Immediately apply the latest Apple updates.
– Disable AirPlay Receiver if not in use.
- Restrict AirPlay traffic at the firewall level (port 7000).
- Set AirPlay permissions to āCurrent Userā to prevent unauthorized access.
– Recommendations for organizations:
- Enforce mandatory updates across all company-issued Apple devices.
- Educate employees on the risks and urge personal device updates.
- Monitor local networks for signs of unusual AirPlay activity or lateral movement.
These vulnerabilities are particularly alarming because they bypass many traditional user defenses, relying instead on passive connectivity and background services. The ability to exploit AirPlay over a peer-to-peer network or public Wi-Fi makes this a uniquely dangerous threat in todayās increasingly mobile work environments.
What Undercode Say:
The AirBorne vulnerabilities reveal a critical and often-overlooked aspect of modern cybersecurity: the hidden dangers of proprietary wireless protocols. Appleās AirPlay has long been viewed as a secure, seamless solution for media streaming ā but its integration across the hardware stack also makes it a prime target for deep system-level attacks.
From a cybersecurity standpoint, whatās most concerning is the wormable, zero-click RCE potential. These characteristics are rare and particularly lethal, as they allow for mass exploitation without user action. Any attacker with access to a shared network could, in theory, infect dozens or even hundreds of devices in minutes. This is reminiscent of high-profile malware campaigns like WannaCry or NotPetya, but now targeting a completely different domain: media-sharing protocols.
From an enterprise risk management angle, the threat affects more than just privacy ā it hits the core of operational security. Devices compromised through AirPlay could serve as footholds into corporate networks, bypassing conventional firewalls and endpoint protections. And because AirPlay is built into Appleās ecosystem and many smart home and corporate conferencing devices, the threat landscape includes everything from boardroom Apple TVs to employeesā personal iPads.
We see this as a supply-chain level vulnerability. Third-party manufacturers that embed the AirPlay SDK into their devices may not push updates as quickly as Apple does, leaving unpatched hardware in homes, offices, and hotels ā each one a ticking time bomb. Worse, consumers and IT administrators may not even be aware of which devices in their environment support AirPlay and are thus vulnerable.
Undercode also notes that the stack-based buffer overflow (CVE-2025-24132) is particularly dangerous in the context of audio devices, as attackers could theoretically use the microphone input to listen in on sensitive conversations. This moves the threat beyond digital espionage into physical eavesdropping, especially in high-security environments like boardrooms, embassies, or R&D facilities.
The mitigation steps suggested are solid, but thereās a cultural barrier to overcome: AirPlay is typically treated as a convenience feature, not a security surface. That needs to change.
We advise organizations to:
- Conduct full device inventories to identify all AirPlay-capable hardware.
- Enforce segmentation of AirPlay-enabled devices from sensitive internal networks.
- Add AirPlay-specific logging and anomaly detection to SIEM tools.
- Ensure that third-party vendors confirm patch compliance if their hardware integrates AirPlay functionality.
On the research side, Oligoās work demonstrates the need for deep protocol auditing, even within closed-source ecosystems. Appleās proprietary layers are not immune to memory safety issues, and this case shows how critical independent research remains in securing even the most polished tech stacks.
Fact Checker Results
- ā Apple has acknowledged and patched most of the reported vulnerabilities, confirming the legitimacy of the findings.
- ā CVE assignments (including CVE-2025-24252 and CVE-2025-24132) are publicly listed and recognized.
- ā Responsible disclosure procedures were followed by Oligo Security, aligning with industry best practices.
Would you like a diagram showing how the wormable attack spreads through an AirPlay network?
References:
Reported By: securityaffairs.com
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