CVE-2026-112655 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, 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 described is a classic use-after-free error, which falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416. This type of memory management flaw occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed or reallocated. In the context of web browsers like Safari and its underlying WebKit engine, this typically involves JavaScript objects or DOM elements that are referenced by script code but have already been deallocated from memory due to garbage collection or explicit removal. When an attacker crafts malicious web content designed to trigger this specific race condition or logic error, they can manipulate the state of the freed memory region before it is reused for a different purpose.
The operational impact of exploiting a use-after-free vulnerability in a browser environment is severe and often leads to arbitrary code execution. By carefully controlling what data is written into the recently freed memory block, an attacker can overwrite critical pointers or function addresses within the process heap. This manipulation allows the malicious actor to redirect the program's control flow to execute their own shellcode rather than the intended application logic. Such exploitation bypasses many standard security mitigations because it operates at a low level within the browser's execution environment, potentially granting full access to the user system if the browser is running with elevated privileges or without sufficient sandboxing isolation.
Apple has addressed this issue by implementing improved memory management protocols within Safari and related operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS versions 27.2 and above. The fix likely involves stricter reference counting mechanisms, enhanced garbage collection checks, or the introduction of safe pointer handling techniques that prevent access to deallocated memory regions. These updates ensure that once a resource is freed, any subsequent attempts to access it are either blocked or handled safely without allowing for memory corruption. This remediation aligns with industry best practices for mitigating CWE-416 by enforcing strict lifecycle management of dynamic memory allocations in complex software architectures like web browsers.
From an offensive security perspective, this vulnerability maps closely to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, where attackers leverage vulnerabilities in client-side applications to gain initial access or execute code on a target system. Defense-in-depth strategies should include keeping all Apple operating systems and browsers up to date with the latest security patches. Additionally, users should exercise caution when visiting untrusted websites or opening suspicious email attachments that may contain malicious web content designed to exploit such memory corruption flaws. Employing browser extensions that restrict script execution on unknown domains can also provide an additional layer of protection against these types of exploits until comprehensive patch deployment is achieved across all devices in the ecosystem.