CVE-2026-112610 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7.2 and iPadOS 26.7.2, iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.7.2. Processing a maliciously crafted PDF file may lead to memory corruption.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability described involves an out-of-bounds write condition within the system components responsible for processing Portable Document Format files on Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, and macOS variants such as Sequoia and Tahoe. This type of flaw typically arises when a software application fails to properly validate data boundaries before writing information into memory buffers. In this specific instance, the underlying issue was addressed by implementing improved bounds checking mechanisms within the PDF parsing engine. The core technical failure lies in the absence or insufficiency of validation checks that ensure write operations remain strictly within the allocated limits of the target buffer. When a maliciously crafted PDF file is processed, it triggers code paths that attempt to write data beyond the intended memory region, leading directly to heap corruption or stack overflow scenarios depending on the specific allocation context.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write in the Common Weakness Enumeration taxonomy. The exploitation of such flaws allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory structures which can corrupt metadata used by the memory allocator or alter control flow data stored nearby. In modern operating systems like iOS and macOS, while mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization ASLR and Data Execution Prevention DEP are in place they do not fully prevent all forms of exploitation particularly when heap corruption occurs. The ability to write arbitrary values to unintended memory locations provides a critical primitive for attackers aiming to achieve code execution or privilege escalation. By carefully crafting the PDF content an adversary can manipulate the state of the application process potentially leading to denial of service through crashes or more severe outcomes involving remote code execution if further exploitation techniques are chained with other vulnerabilities such as type confusion or use-after-free conditions that may exist in related components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to the widespread usage of PDF files across digital workflows and the deep integration of these operating systems into mobile devices and personal computers where users frequently open documents from untrusted sources including email attachments web downloads and cloud storage services. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw could gain arbitrary read and write access within the context of the application process handling the malicious file if it runs with elevated privileges or sandbox escape capabilities are leveraged subsequently. This compromises the confidentiality integrity and availability of user data stored on the device as well as potentially allowing lateral movement to other connected services or networks depending on the specific configuration and trust boundaries established by Apple's security architecture for iOS iPadOS and macOS environments.
Mitigation strategies primarily rely on applying the provided software updates which include improved bounds checking logic within the PDF processing libraries of iOS 26.7.2 iPadOS 26.7.2 iOS 27.2 iPadOS 27.2 macOS Sequoia 15.8.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.7.2 These updates ensure that input data is rigorously validated against buffer limits before any write operations are permitted thereby neutralizing the root cause of the memory corruption. Organizations and individual users should prioritize patching these systems to close this attack vector additionally adopting defense-in-depth practices such as enabling sandboxed environments for document viewing applications restricting macro execution in documents where applicable and employing endpoint detection solutions that monitor for anomalous memory access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts can further reduce risk exposure until patches are fully deployed across all endpoints.