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Apple iOS EUVDEUVD-2026-77856

| CVE-2026-28968 MEDIUM
Out-of-bounds Read (CWE-125)
2026-09-14 apple GHSA-wfgf-q454-5qjc
5.5
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
    Install malicious low-privilege app
  2. Delivery
    App sends crafted input to vulnerable kernel path
  3. Exploit
    Trigger out-of-bounds write in kernel
  4. Execution
    Corrupt kernel memory
  5. Impact
    System termination or privilege escalation

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, read limits
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Collection

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

Exploitation Conditions

Requires the attacker to run a locally-installed app on the device (PR:L, AV:L) that can reach the vulnerable kernel code path; no user interaction is needed once the app runs (UI:N). Exploitation is limited by the need for prior local app execution - there is no remote or network vector - and by the affected-version window (systems earlier than iOS/iPadOS 26.7 & 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8 / Tahoe 26.7 / Golden Gate 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27, watchOS 27). No special non-default configuration is required; any unpatched device running a malicious app is exposed.

Impact

This is a locally-exploitable kernel-level memory-corruption flaw with modest real-world urgency. The vendor CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U) confirms it requires a locally-installed, already-running app with low privileges - not remote or unauthenticated access - which sharply limits mass-exploitation potential. EPSS is low (0.21%, 11th percentile) and there is no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit identified, so this is not an active-exploitation priority. HOWEVER, the vendor scored impact as C:N/I:N/A:H (availability-only), which UNDERSTATES the threat: the description explicitly says an app may 'corrupt kernel memory,' which is an integrity impact and a classic privilege-escalation/jailbreak primitive rather than a mere crash - Apple kernel OOB writes are routinely chained into full kernel R/W. Also note the CWE is CWE-125 (out-of-bounds READ) while the description states an out-of-bounds WRITE - these conflict, and the write is the more severe and description-supported classification (CWE-787). Bottom line: patch-priority, not emergency; more dangerous than the 5.5 base score suggests because kernel-memory corruption enables local privilege escalation.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A user installs a malicious or compromised app from a sandboxed context; the app feeds crafted input to a vulnerable kernel code path that performs an out-of-bounds write, corrupting kernel memory. The attacker either crashes the device (unexpected system termination / DoS) or grooms kernel memory to build a privilege-escalation primitive that breaks out of the app sandbox. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis, and exploitation requires the attacker to already have code execution in a local app.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 17, 2026

Kernel memory corruption in Apple's operating systems lets an app running on the device crash the system or corrupt kernel memory, with the independent assessment scoring integrity and availability impact as High (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H). Every unpatched device is exposed once a user launches a malicious or compromised app: no network vector, no user interaction beyond app execution, and no special configuration is required. There is no confirmed active exploitation (CISA KEV does not list this CVE) and no public exploit code identified at time of analysis, and EPSS is low at 0.21% (11th percentile), so real-world urgency is modest even though the flaw sits in the kernel. Apple has shipped fixed builds across all affected platforms: iOS/iPadOS 26.7 and 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7, macOS Golden Gate 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27 and watchOS 27.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patches are the only complete fix: update to iOS/iPadOS 26.7 or 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7 or macOS Golden Gate 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27 and watchOS 27 as applicable, using the per-platform advisories at support.apple.com/en-us/149034 through 149043 to confirm the correct build for each device. No documented workaround neutralizes the kernel bug, so until devices are upgraded the practical compensating controls target the prerequisite - locally installed malicious code - rather than the flaw itself: enforce managed/allow-listed application installation and block sideloading or unvetted enterprise apps on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro and Apple Watch (trade-off: reduced user flexibility and potential friction for internal apps), and tighten Mobile Device Management restrictions and profile controls so that only notarized, signed apps from trusted developers can execute (trade-off: some line-of-business tooling may need re-signing or re-approval). Because exploitation yields kernel memory corruption, these controls should be paired with rapid patch deployment windows and monitoring for unexpected panics or reboots, which are the most visible symptom of a trigger; note that such telemetry is a detection aid, not a mitigation, and that jailbroken or sideload-enabled devices remain exposed regardless of configuration hardening.

Affected VersionsENISA

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

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 defect is an out-of-bounds memory access in Apple's shared kernel (XNU), reached from an unprivileged app through a kernel-facing code path. The record is inconsistent about the exact primitive: the description states an out-of-bounds write that was addressed with improved bounds checking, while the assigned CWE is CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read); either way the root cause class is missing or insufficient length/bounds validation on a buffer before the kernel dereferences it. The relevant authorization boundary is the app-to-kernel interface, which is why the CVSS vector is local (AV:L) with low privileges (PR:L) and no user interaction (UI:N) - the attacker needs code executing on the device rather than a remote foothold. Because the target is shared kernel memory, a successful trigger can terminate the system unexpectedly or corrupt kernel state, which the independent assessment reflects by raising integrity and availability to High while confidentiality remains None (no information disclosure demonstrated). The CPE data confirms the flaw ships in the common kernel of the entire Apple platform family - cpe:2.3:a:apple:ios_and_ipados, apple:macos, apple:tvos, apple:visionos and apple:watchos - consistent with a single fix applied across parallel OS releases. The 'Information Disclosure' and 'Buffer Overflow' tags attached to this record should be treated cautiously given that only an availability/integrity impact is established and the CWE/description pair is contradictory.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (apple) PRIMARY 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.1 HIGH

Local malicious app with low privileges and no user interaction; 'corrupt kernel memory' justifies I:H (not vendor's I:N) and 'system termination' gives A:H, no confidentiality impact.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Sep 17, 2026 - 17:22 NVD
5.5 (MEDIUM)
Patch available
Sep 14, 2026 - 22:19 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 14, 2026 - 20:49 cve.org
MEDIUM 5.5
CVE Published
Sep 14, 2026 - 20:49 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. 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.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 89% 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 MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
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· derived
Medium

Priority Score

28
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +28
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

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.

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

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