Detect Apple Multiple Products Buffer Overflow Exploitation (CVE-2025-31277) in Splunk
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
SPL Detection Query
index=endpoint sourcetype IN ("jamf:pro", "crowdstrike:events", "carbon_black:edr", "sentinel_one")
(os_type IN ("macos", "ios", "ipados") OR vendor="Apple")
| eval apple_system_procs=mvappend("mdmclient", "mobileassetd", "softwareupdated", "nsurlsessiond", "trustd", "accountsd", "apsd", "securityd", "notifyd")
| where (event_type="ProcessCrash" AND mvfind(apple_system_procs, process_name) >= 0)
OR (event_type="ProcessCreate" AND mvfind(apple_system_procs, parent_process_name) >= 0 AND process_name IN ("sh", "bash", "zsh", "python3", "perl", "osascript"))
OR (event_type="ExceptionEvent" AND exception_type IN ("EXC_BAD_ACCESS", "EXC_BAD_INSTRUCTION", "SIGSEGV", "SIGBUS") AND mvfind(apple_system_procs, process_name) >= 0)
| eval risk_score=case(
event_type="ProcessCrash" AND mvfind(apple_system_procs, process_name) >= 0, 90,
event_type="ProcessCreate" AND mvfind(apple_system_procs, parent_process_name) >= 0 AND process_name IN ("sh", "bash", "zsh"), 85,
event_type="ExceptionEvent", 80,
70
)
| where risk_score >= 70
| stats count AS event_count, values(event_type) AS event_types, max(risk_score) AS max_risk, first(_time) AS first_seen, last(_time) AS last_seen BY host, user, process_name, parent_process_name
| where event_count >= 1
| sort - max_riskDetects exploitation indicators for CVE-2025-31277 on Apple endpoints by correlating process crashes, exception signals, and unexpected shell spawning from Apple system daemons across macOS and iOS device telemetry.
Data Sources
Required Sourcetypes
False Positives & Tuning
- Apple OS updates and patch installations may trigger daemon restarts resembling crash events
- Third-party macOS management tools may cause transient process anomalies on managed devices
- Legitimate developer workflows using osascript or shell scripts from system contexts
- Memory pressure events on iOS devices causing system daemon exits that resemble crashes
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.