CVE-2026-112623 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in Safari 27.2, iOS 26.7.2 and iPadOS 26.7.2, iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, visionOS 27.2. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability in question is a use-after-free error, which falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416. This type of flaw occurs when software continues to use a pointer after it has been freed or deallocated from memory. In the context of web browsers like Safari and its underlying engine WebKit, such issues are particularly critical because they can be triggered by maliciously crafted web content. When an object is no longer needed but remains referenced in memory, accessing that reference leads to undefined behavior. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the victim's device with the privileges of the affected application.
The technical mechanism behind a use-after-free typically involves a scenario where one part of the program frees a block of memory while another part still holds a valid pointer to it. If the freed memory is reallocated for a different purpose before the old pointer is dereferenced, the attacker can control the data that gets written or read through that stale pointer. This allows for precise manipulation of heap structures, which can be leveraged to achieve code execution. The complexity lies in ensuring that the timing and allocation patterns align correctly during exploitation, but modern exploit development techniques have made such attacks increasingly feasible against complex software stacks like those found in operating systems and browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution via web content. Users browsing malicious websites or interacting with specially crafted HTML, JavaScript, or other web technologies could inadvertently trigger the flaw within their browser process. Since Safari processes are often sandboxed, successful exploitation might initially be confined to that sandbox; however, further privilege escalation techniques can potentially break out of this isolation and compromise the entire system. This risk extends across multiple Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS, indicating a widespread exposure if left unpatched.
Apple has addressed this issue through improved memory management practices within Safari 27.2 and corresponding updates for iOS 26.7.2, iOS 27.2, iPadOS versions, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, and visionOS 27.2. These fixes likely involve stricter checks on pointer validity before dereferencing, enhanced heap management algorithms to prevent premature deallocation, or the use of safer memory handling libraries that automatically manage object lifecycles. By updating these systems, users ensure that their devices are protected against this specific class of exploitation attempts targeting browser-based attacks.
From a defensive perspective, organizations and individual users should prioritize applying these updates immediately upon availability. Additionally, employing defense-in-depth strategies such as enabling automatic security updates can mitigate the window of exposure. Security professionals monitoring for indicators of compromise related to webkit exploits should look for unusual memory access patterns or attempts to exploit heap structures in browser processes. Awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers of visiting untrusted websites also serve as a crucial layer of protection against social engineering tactics that might lead users to trigger such vulnerabilities intentionally or unintentionally.