CVE-2026-112567 in iPadOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.7.2, tvOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2, watchOS 27.2. A malicious application may be able to bypass Privacy preferences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The disclosed vulnerability represents a critical failure in the enforcement of privacy controls within Apple's operating system ecosystem, specifically affecting iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS versions prior to the specified updates. The core technical flaw lies in insufficient validation logic during the application permission request process, which allows malicious software to circumvent user-defined Privacy preferences. In modern mobile and desktop environments, privacy frameworks are designed to act as a gatekeeper between applications and sensitive system resources such as location services, camera access, microphone input, contacts, and photos. When these checks are bypassed, an attacker can gain unauthorized access to data that the user has explicitly denied or restricted, effectively nullifying the security boundary intended by the operating system's privacy model.
From a technical perspective, this issue likely stems from race conditions, logic errors in permission state verification, or improper handling of privilege escalation requests within the sandboxing mechanisms. Malicious applications exploit these weaknesses to query sensitive APIs without triggering the standard authorization prompts or ignoring negative responses from the privacy manager. This bypass enables the application to operate as if it had been granted full access by the user, even when such permissions were explicitly withheld during initial setup or subsequent configuration changes. The flaw undermines the principle of least privilege and compromises the integrity of the consent model that users rely on to protect their personal information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, particularly for end-users who depend on these devices for sensitive communications, financial transactions, and private data storage. An attacker leveraging this flaw could exfiltrate confidential documents, record audio or video without detection, track user location history in real-time, or harvest contact lists for social engineering attacks. Because the access occurs silently and without triggering standard security alerts associated with permission grants, victims may remain unaware of the breach until significant damage has occurred. This lack of visibility exacerbates the risk, as traditional monitoring tools might not flag activity that appears to originate from a legitimately installed application operating within its perceived permissions.
This vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-200, which classifies it as an Information Exposure vulnerability where security-relevant information is disclosed to unauthorized actors. It also maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Collection and Exfiltration over C2 channels, specifically those involving screen capture or audio recording without user consent. The ability to bypass privacy preferences effectively grants the malicious application capabilities similar to spyware or keyloggers, allowing for persistent surveillance of device usage patterns and personal interactions.
Mitigation requires immediate deployment of the provided software updates across all affected platforms, including iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.7.2, tvOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. These updates contain the improved checks necessary to enforce privacy preferences correctly and prevent unauthorized access flows. Organizations should ensure that device management policies mandate automatic updates for all enrolled devices to minimize exposure windows. Additionally, users are advised to regularly audit application permissions through system settings, removing unnecessary access rights from applications that do not require them for core functionality. Security awareness training should emphasize the importance of reviewing permission prompts and being cautious with applications requesting broad or sensitive data access, as even updated systems benefit from vigilant user behavior in conjunction with technical controls.