CVE-2026-112609 in iOS
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. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2026
The vulnerability described involves a failure in the operating system's enforcement of application sandboxing boundaries, specifically within iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 27.2. In modern mobile operating systems, applications are isolated from one another through strict permission models that restrict access to user data such as contacts, photos, location history, and private documents unless explicit consent is granted by the user via system dialogs or configuration profiles. The flaw in question represents a logic error where these enforcement mechanisms were insufficiently validated during runtime checks, allowing an application to bypass standard authorization protocols. This type of defect typically stems from improper state management or inadequate validation of access control lists when applications request resources that are normally restricted to other apps or the system itself.
From a technical perspective, this issue aligns with CWE-269, which classifies Improper Privilege Management, and more specifically CWE-732, which refers to Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource. The root cause lies in the failure of the operating system kernel or framework layers to correctly verify whether the requesting application possesses the necessary entitlements before granting access to sensitive data stores. Instead of returning an error code indicating lack of permission, the system erroneously returned a valid reference to the protected resource. This bypasses the intended security controls that rely on explicit user approval and runtime checks, effectively elevating the privileges of the malicious or compromised application beyond what was authorized by the device owner.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for end-users who rely on their devices for personal and professional communications. An attacker could exploit this flaw to exfiltrate sensitive information without triggering any visible alerts or requiring additional user interaction, thereby maintaining stealth during data theft. This capability undermines the fundamental trust model of mobile operating systems where users expect that installed applications cannot arbitrarily access private files. The consequences include potential identity theft, financial fraud through access to banking apps or messages containing one-time passwords, and privacy violations involving personal photos or location tracking history. In enterprise environments, this could lead to data breaches if employees use compromised applications on corporate-managed devices protected by Mobile Device Management policies that assume strict app isolation.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate software updates as the vendor has addressed these improved checks in iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2. Users should ensure their devices are updated to these versions or later to patch the underlying logic errors in permission enforcement. For organizations, it is critical to enforce device compliance policies that prevent older operating system versions from accessing corporate resources via Mobile Application Management solutions. Additionally, users can mitigate risk by carefully reviewing app permissions during installation and regularly auditing which applications have been granted access to sensitive data categories such as photos or location services through the system settings interface. Security awareness training should emphasize caution when installing third-party apps that request broad access privileges unrelated to their core functionality, as these may attempt to leverage similar flaws if they are not patched.
This incident highlights the importance of rigorous code review and fuzzing techniques in mobile OS development to catch logic errors related to access control before deployment. Future iterations of security frameworks should incorporate more granular auditing logs for permission requests that deviate from normal patterns, allowing for real-time detection of such bypass attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this behavior under T1530 Data from Local System which involves accessing data stored on the local system, and potentially T1078 Valid Accounts if the attacker leverages compromised credentials to facilitate access before exploiting the OS flaw. Continuous monitoring for anomalous file access patterns by applications can provide an additional layer of defense against such vulnerabilities in environments where immediate patching is not feasible.