Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2021 - Vulnerable and Outdated Components
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, buffer size validation
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Impact | The risk profile of this vulnerability is moderate but context-dependent. No CVSS score or vector is available, which limits quantitative assessment, but the vulnerability class (denial of service via file parsing) typically carries moderate severity in CVSS terms. The attack vector is likely local or network-adjacent (file download or user interaction), and exploitation requires a user to open or interact with a maliciously crafted file, increasing attack complexity. The technical impact is limited to denial of service (application crash), not information disclosure or code execution, which reduces the severity compared to memory corruption vulnerabilities that enable arbitrary code execution. However, the broad scope of affected products—spanning three major Apple operating systems with millions of users—increases real-world impact. The fact that Apple issued security updates across multiple OS versions (iOS 18.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5) indicates this was treated as a priority fix worth backporting. Without EPSS data or KEV status, the exploitation probability is unknown, but memory handling issues are generally considered exploitable by competent attackers. The vulnerability should be prioritized for patching due to the ease of triggering (file parsing) and broad user base, but it does not represent an imminent critical threat compared to remote code execution vulnerabilities. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a malicious file (potentially a document, image, or other format commonly parsed by Apple applications) with specially constructed data that triggers a memory handling error during parsing. The attacker distributes this file via email, messaging, or a compromised website, enticing a user to open or view the file. When the targeted application attempts to parse the malicious file, the memory handling vulnerability causes a segmentation fault or similar error, leading to unexpected application termination and potential data loss if the application had unsaved work. This attack requires minimal technical sophistication and no special privileges, making it accessible to a broad range of threat actors. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 25, 2026
Improper memory handling in Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS allows remote denial of service when processing maliciously crafted files, potentially causing unexpected application crashes. An attacker can trigger this vulnerability by delivering a specially crafted file to a victim, resulting in app termination without requiring user privileges or interaction beyond opening the file. No patch is currently available for this medium-severity vulnerability affecting multiple Apple platforms.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
A memory handling vulnerability in Apple's iOS, iPadOS, and macOS platforms allows an attacker to cause unexpected application termination by crafting a malicious file that triggers improper memory handling during parsing. The vulnerability affects iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 18.7.7, macOS Sequoia prior to 15.7.5, and macOS Sonoma prior to 14.8.5. While the vulnerability results in denial of service rather than code execution, it impacts the stability and availability of affected Apple devices and applications across consumer and enterprise deployments.
RemediationAI
Immediate remediation requires upgrading affected devices to the patched versions: iOS and iPadOS users must update to version 18.7.7 or later, macOS Sequoia users must update to 15.7.5 or later, and macOS Sonoma users must update to 14.8.5 or later. These updates are available through each platform's system software update mechanism (Settings > General > Software Update on iOS/iPadOS; System Settings > General > Software Update on macOS). For enterprise deployments, administrators should use Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools to enforce and track software updates across managed devices. Until patching can be completed, users should avoid opening files from untrusted sources and disable automatic file preview features if available. Organizations should prioritize patching, particularly for devices handling sensitive file processing or exposed to external file inputs.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 2 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 vulnerability resides in Apple's file parsing mechanisms, which handle maliciously crafted input files without proper memory bounds checking or validation. The affected components span across multiple Apple operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, and macOS) as indicated by the broad CPE classifications (cpe:2.3:a:apple:ios_and_ipados and cpe:2.3:a:apple:macos), suggesting the issue may be in a shared code library or framework used across these platforms. While no specific CWE is provided, the vulnerability class relates to improper memory management—likely CWE-119 (Buffer Overflow), CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read), or CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)—where insufficient validation of file structure or size parameters allows malformed input to cause memory access violations. The fix indicates Apple implemented improved memory handling, such as bounds checking, safe memory allocation practices, or stricter input validation in the file parsing routines.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5. Parsing a maliciously crafted file may lead to an unexpected app termination.
Executive ViewAI
Organizations using The should be aware of notable risk from CVE-2026-20657, a buffer overflow vulnerability rated CVSS 6.5. Exploitation could cause memory corruption or application crashes. Organizations should apply vendor updates when available and monitor for exploitation.
Apply vendor patch. If patching is delayed: restrict network access and enable monitoring.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
EUVD-2026-15047
GHSA-qm38-v5q7-v23r
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB