CVE-2026-112686 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
A race condition was addressed with improved locking. 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 an unexpected process termination.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability described involves a race condition within the Safari rendering engine and associated WebKit components on Apple platforms. A race condition occurs when two or more threads access shared data concurrently, and at least one of them modifies it, leading to unpredictable outcomes depending on the timing of execution. In this specific instance, the issue stemmed from insufficient synchronization mechanisms during the processing of web content. The fix implemented improved locking strategies to ensure that critical sections of code are executed atomically, preventing concurrent modifications that could corrupt internal state or cause instability in the browser process.
From a technical perspective, race conditions in high-level applications like browsers often arise when handling asynchronous operations such as network requests, DOM manipulation, or JavaScript execution. If the application fails to properly serialize access to shared resources during these operations, it can lead to memory corruption, logic errors, or state inconsistencies. In this case, processing maliciously crafted web content triggers a specific sequence of events that exploits this timing flaw. The attacker likely constructs HTML and JavaScript code designed to force rapid concurrent updates to internal browser structures, overwhelming the existing synchronization primitives and causing the application to enter an invalid state.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily characterized by denial of service through unexpected process termination. When a user visits a malicious website or opens a crafted email containing embedded web content, the Safari process may crash unexpectedly. This results in data loss for any unsaved work within browser tabs and disrupts the user's workflow. While the primary manifestation is a crash rather than arbitrary code execution, such instability can sometimes be leveraged as part of a larger attack chain to facilitate further exploitation or to degrade system reliability. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS, indicating that the underlying WebKit engine is shared across these platforms and susceptible to the same flaw in their respective browser implementations.
To mitigate this risk, users must ensure they are running the latest software versions provided by Apple. The vulnerability has been addressed in Safari 27.2, iOS 16.7.2 and iPadOS 16.7.2, as well as newer iterations like iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 across macOS Golden Gate 27.2, tvOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. It is critical for enterprise environments to enforce automated patch management policies to ensure all devices are updated promptly upon the release of security patches. Additionally, users should exercise caution when interacting with untrusted web content or emails from unknown sources until their systems are fully patched.
From a classification standpoint, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-362: Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization (Race Condition). This standard categorizes flaws where the system's behavior depends on the relative timing of events, such as race conditions and TOCTOU bugs. In terms of offensive security frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK, this type of vulnerability could potentially be associated with T1499: Endpoint Denial of Service if exploited to crash a target device, although its primary value lies in enabling further exploitation vectors that may involve memory corruption or privilege escalation depending on the specific context and subsequent bugs. Security researchers and developers should prioritize implementing robust locking mechanisms and conducting thorough concurrency testing during software development to prevent similar issues in future releases.