CVE-2026-112651 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability described is a classic use-after-free error, which falls under the CWE-416 classification in the Common Weakness Enumeration standard. This type of memory management flaw occurs when a program 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 happens during the processing of complex HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or other web content structures. When maliciously crafted web content is processed, the browser may allocate memory for an object, use that object, free it to reclaim resources, but then retain a reference to that same memory location. If subsequent operations access this dangling pointer without verifying its validity, they interact with freed memory, leading to undefined behavior and potential exploitation.
The operational impact of such a vulnerability is severe because it can lead to arbitrary code execution on the victim's device. An attacker who controls the maliciously crafted web content can carefully manipulate the state of the heap or stack after the free operation to overwrite critical data structures or control flow mechanisms. By exploiting this race condition or logic error, an unauthenticated attacker could execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the user running the browser application. This compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system, potentially allowing for full device compromise depending on the security context in which the browser operates.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to initial access and execution via web browsers. Attackers often distribute such exploits through phishing campaigns or compromised websites where users are tricked into visiting specific URLs containing the malicious payload. The exploitation chain usually involves crafting a webpage that triggers the use-after-free condition during rendering or script execution, followed by heap spraying or other memory corruption techniques to gain control over program flow and achieve code execution.
Mitigation for this vulnerability relies primarily on applying the software updates provided by Apple. Safari 27.2, iOS 26.7.2, iPadOS 26.7.2, iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, and visionOS 27.2 all include improved memory management logic that prevents the use of freed pointers or ensures proper validation before access. Organizations should ensure that all endpoints running these operating systems are patched to the latest available version. Additionally, users can reduce risk by keeping browser security settings strict, avoiding interaction with untrusted web content, and utilizing sandboxing features where possible to limit the impact if an exploit is attempted. Regular monitoring for new patches and maintaining up-to-date software configurations remain critical defense strategies against memory corruption vulnerabilities of this nature.