Detect Apple Multiple Products Buffer Overflow Exploitation (CVE-2025-31277) in CrowdStrike LogScale
Detects potential exploitation of CVE-2025-31277, a buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-119) affecting multiple Apple products. This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild. Successful exploitation may allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service on affected Apple devices and systems.
MITRE ATT&CK
LogScale Detection Query
#event_simpleName IN (ProcessRollup2, SyntheticProcessRollup2, ProcessExceptionEvent)
| where event.ProductType = "Mac"
| where (
(event_simpleName IN ("ProcessExceptionEvent", "ProcessRollup2") AND FileName IN ("mdmclient", "mobileassetd", "softwareupdated", "nsurlsessiond", "trustd", "accountsd", "apsd", "securityd", "notifyd") AND ExitCode != 0)
OR
(event_simpleName = "ProcessRollup2" AND ParentBaseFileName IN ("mdmclient", "mobileassetd", "softwareupdated", "nsurlsessiond", "trustd", "accountsd", "apsd", "securityd") AND FileName IN ("sh", "bash", "zsh", "python3", "perl", "osascript", "ruby"))
)
| eval risk = case(
FileName IN ("sh", "bash", "zsh") AND ParentBaseFileName IN ("mdmclient", "mobileassetd", "trustd", "securityd"), "CRITICAL",
event_simpleName = "ProcessExceptionEvent" AND FileName IN ("mdmclient", "mobileassetd", "softwareupdated"), "HIGH",
"MEDIUM"
)
| stats count() AS EventCount, values(FileName) AS Processes, values(CommandLine) AS Commands, max(risk) AS MaxRisk BY aid, UserName, ParentBaseFileName
| where EventCount >= 1
| sort MaxRisk ascCrowdStrike Falcon query detecting CVE-2025-31277 buffer overflow exploitation on macOS devices by identifying Apple system daemon crashes with non-zero exit codes and anomalous shell process spawning from trusted Apple daemons.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- CrowdStrike Falcon sensor updates may cause transient process restarts on monitored Apple endpoints
- macOS Gatekeeper and XProtect scans may generate process exception events during malware quarantine
- Apple Business Manager and DEP enrollment workflows generate shell commands from MDM daemon contexts
- Rosetta 2 translation layer may generate exception events for incompatible binaries
Other platforms for CVE-2025-31277
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 3 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1Simulate Apple System Daemon Crash with Non-Zero Exit
Expected signal: Process crash event for 'trustd' (or mock process) with SIGSEGV signal, non-zero exit code, and EXC_BAD_ACCESS exception type visible in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ and EDR crash telemetry
- Test 2Spawn Shell from Apple Daemon Context (Post-Exploitation Simulation)
Expected signal: ProcessCreate event showing bash spawning /tmp/daemon_spawn_test.sh, with subsequent child processes for whoami, uname, id, and ls commands — EDR should record full process ancestry and command lines
- Test 3Generate Crash Report Artifact for Apple Daemon
Expected signal: File creation event in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ for trustd crash file; log collection agents (Elastic Agent, CrowdStrike) should ingest the .crash file and surface EXC_BAD_ACCESS exception type in SIEM
Unlock Pro Content
Get the full detection package for CVE-2025-31277 including response playbook, investigation guide, and atomic red team tests.