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Apple iOS CVE-2026-84507

| EUVDEUVD-2026-78017 HIGH
Race Condition (CWE-362)
2026-09-14 apple GHSA-4g57-9c9f-ph83
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: apple
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Run malicious app locally (PR:L)
  2. Delivery
    Repeatedly trigger racy kernel path
  3. Exploit
    Win race window (CWE-362)
  4. Execution
    Corrupt kernel memory
  5. Impact
    System termination or escalation primitive

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Concurrency control, locking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the attacker to already run code as an app on the target Apple device (AV:L, PR:L per the vendor vector) and to reliably win a kernel race condition - a timing-dependent condition that limits determinism and typically demands many attempts. No network vector, no user interaction beyond having the malicious app execute (UI:N). There is no special product feature or non-default configuration prerequisite; any default-configured affected build (iOS/iPadOS <26.7 and <27, macOS <15.8/<26.7/<27, tvOS/visionOS/watchOS <27) running the attacker's app is exposed. The principal limiting factors are the local-code-execution precondition and the inherent unreliability of race-window timing, which together make opportunistic mass exploitation impractical.

Impact

This is a locally-exploitable kernel-level flaw, not a remote one: the vendor CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (7.8 High) is consistent with the description - a local app (PR:L) triggers a race condition (CWE-362) that either terminates the system or corrupts kernel memory. Real-world risk signals are mild-to-moderate: EPSS is only 0.18% (8th percentile), there is no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, indicating no evidence of active or imminent exploitation. The main severity driver is the full C:H/I:H/A:H triad Apple assigns to kernel memory corruption, which is defensible because kernel corruption primitives can be escalated toward code execution - but the AC:L rating is optimistic for a race condition, which typically requires precise timing and multiple attempts to win reliably; a realistic assessment leans toward AC:H. The 'Information Disclosure' tag conflicts with the description, which cites only system termination and kernel memory corruption (integrity/availability), not confidentiality leakage. Overall this is a patch-in-normal-cycle issue: dangerous by kernel-corruption category but gated behind local code execution with low observed exploitation interest, not an emergency.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A user installs or is tricked into running a malicious or compromised app on an Apple device; the app repeatedly exercises a timing-sensitive kernel code path to win a race condition. Success corrupts kernel memory - crashing the device (DoS) or, with further effort, establishing a memory-corruption primitive that a skilled attacker could chain toward privilege escalation. No public exploit code is known, and exploitation requires local code execution plus reliable race-window timing.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 17, 2026

Local kernel memory corruption in Apple iOS and iPadOS (with parallel fixes in macOS, tvOS, visionOS and watchOS) lets an app already running on the device win a kernel race condition and either force an unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory, which can be leveraged toward full kernel read/write. Affected builds are iOS/iPadOS before 26.7 and before 27, macOS before 15.8, 26.7 (Tahoe) and 27 (Golden Gate), plus tvOS, visionOS and watchOS before 27; Apple has shipped fixes in every one of those branches. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis and EPSS is low at 0.18% (8th percentile), and because exploitation needs the attacker to already execute code as an app plus a timing-dependent race win, the vendor's own AV:L/PR:L vector (7.8 High) makes opportunistic mass exploitation impractical.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patches: update to iOS 26.7 or iPadOS 26.7 (or the 27 branch), macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7, macOS Golden Gate 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27 and watchOS 27, as documented in Apple's advisories at https://support.apple.com/en-us/149034, https://support.apple.com/en-us/149035, https://support.apple.com/en-us/149036, https://support.apple.com/en-us/149037, https://support.apple.com/en-us/149038, https://support.apple.com/en-us/149041, https://support.apple.com/en-us/149042 and https://support.apple.com/en-us/149043. Because the flaw is a kernel race reachable only from code already executing as a local app (AV:L, PR:L, UI:N), there is no configuration toggle, service or port that can be disabled to close it, and no meaningful network-side workaround; prioritise updates for devices that run untrusted or third-party app code. Until patching is possible, the effective compensating control is narrowing the app trust boundary: enforce MDM app allowlisting and block sideloading, enterprise/ad-hoc and unvetted App Store distribution on managed fleets, and remove or sandbox untrusted apps on high-value devices - the trade-off is reduced user flexibility and administrative overhead, and it does not protect against an already-installed malicious app. Reducing concurrent load or retrying is not a mitigation, since the race is only probabilistic and a successful attempt yields kernel memory corruption; note also that exploitation is timing-dependent and no public exploit code or KEV entry exists, so emergency out-of-band action is not warranted beyond normal patch cadence. Deploying the fixed builds is the only complete remedy, and no patched-version ambiguity should be introduced: Apple's advisories define the exact fixed versions listed above.

Affected VersionsENISA

macOS 0 <27
visionOS 0 <27
macOS 0 <15.8
iOS and iPadOS 0 <26.7
macOS 0 <26.7
iOS and iPadOS 0 <27
watchOS 0 <27
tvOS 0 <27

Affected Packages

euvd ios_and_ipados fix: 26.7, 27
euvd macos fix: 15.8, 26.7, 27
euvd tvos fix: 27
euvd visionos fix: 27
euvd watchos fix: 27

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 5 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The root cause is CWE-362 (concurrent execution using a shared resource with improper synchronization): a kernel-level race condition in which two threads can interleave access to shared kernel state without adequate locking or state validation, producing a use-after-free or inconsistent object state that the kernel then dereferences. Apple addressed it through 'improved state handling', i.e. tightening the synchronization and lifecycle of the affected structure rather than merely adding a check. The vendor vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H places the flaw in the local attack class: the attacker must already be running code on the target as an app, no user interaction is required beyond that app executing, and success yields high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact within the kernel's security context. Our independent assessment rates the same vector but with AC:H, reflecting that winning a kernel race window is timing-dependent, generally non-deterministic and typically requires many attempts; the practical constraint is therefore race reliability rather than any missing privilege or non-default configuration. CPE coverage confirms the affected code ships across the Apple platform family (cpe:2.3:a:apple:ios_and_ipados, apple:macos, apple:tvos, apple:visionos, apple:watchos), meaning the same synchronization defect is present in each platform's shared kernel lineage and is patched in lockstep across the corresponding maintenance branches. Note that the CVSS vector confirms PR:L (a local attacker with app-level privileges) and UI:N; it explicitly does not describe a remote or pre-authentication path.

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Severity by source

Vendor (apple) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.0 HIGH

Local app precondition gives AV:L/PR:L; winning a race window justifies AC:H over the vendor's AC:L; kernel memory corruption supports full C:H/I:H/A:H.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (apple).

CVSS VectorVendor: apple

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Sep 17, 2026 - 16:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Sep 14, 2026 - 22:19 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 14, 2026 - 20:48 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 14, 2026 - 20:48 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

A race condition was addressed with improved state handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7 and iPadOS 26.7, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7, tvOS 27, visionOS 27, watchOS 27. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Apple has released fixes across its entire operating system family - iOS/iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS and watchOS - for a high-severity kernel memory corruption issue (CVE-2026-84507) that could allow an already-installed application to seize kernel-level read/write access on a device. The practical exposure is limited because an attacker must first get code running on the target device and win a timing-dependent race, and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis. Leadership should care primarily because unpatched Apple endpoints in the fleet - particularly executive and privileged-user devices holding sensitive data - remain one of the few remaining paths from a benign-looking app to full device compromise.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 92% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Apple iOS/iPadOS/macOS/tvOS/visionOS/watchOS span billions of consumer devices
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

Race conditions occur when multiple concurrent requests exploit the brief time gap between checking a condition and acting upon it (TOCTOU - Time of Check, Time of Use).

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