CVE-2026-112626 in Safari
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, tvOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2, watchOS 27.2. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability in question is a classic 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, this typically involves JavaScript objects or DOM elements that are referenced by script code even after their associated memory resources have been released back to the system allocator. When an attacker crafts maliciously designed web content containing specific sequences of operations that trigger premature deallocation while maintaining active references, they can manipulate how the browser interprets subsequent memory accesses. This manipulation allows for arbitrary read and write capabilities within the process space of the browser application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe because it enables remote code execution without any user interaction beyond visiting a specially crafted website or opening a malicious email attachment that renders such content. An attacker can exploit this condition to execute arbitrary commands on the victim's device with the privileges of the affected application. This often leads to full system compromise, allowing the extraction of sensitive data, installation of persistent malware, or use of the compromised machine as part of a botnet. The severity is heightened by the fact that modern browsers run in sandboxed environments; however, successful exploitation can sometimes allow an attacker to escape these sandboxes depending on the specific implementation details and available exploit primitives within the operating system's security model.
Industry frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK classify this behavior under techniques related to initial access and execution, specifically leveraging browser vulnerabilities for code injection. The attack vector is primarily network-based via web content processing, which aligns with T1189 Drive-by Compromise or similar tactics where the victim initiates the interaction by visiting a malicious site. Defenders should recognize that use-after-free bugs are particularly dangerous because they rely on race conditions and memory state inconsistencies that can be difficult to detect through static analysis alone. They often require dynamic debugging or fuzzing techniques during development to identify properly before deployment in production environments.
Mitigation strategies focus heavily on the software updates provided by Apple, which include improved memory management logic within Safari 27.2 and related operating system versions including iOS 26.7.2, iPadOS 26.7.2, iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, tvOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. These updates likely introduce stricter checks on pointer validity before dereferencing them or adjust the lifecycle management of DOM objects to prevent premature deallocation while references remain active. For organizations managing fleets of Apple devices, ensuring that all endpoints are patched to these specific versions is critical to closing this attack surface. Additionally, deploying browser isolation technologies or content security policies can provide an additional layer of defense by restricting the execution context and limiting the potential impact if a vulnerability were ever exploited in older unpatched systems.