CVE-2026-113901 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 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, visionOS 27.2. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to an unexpected process crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2026
The vulnerability described constitutes a use-after-free error within the Safari rendering engine and associated WebKit components across multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. This class of memory corruption flaw occurs when software continues to use a pointer after it has been freed from its allocated memory block. In the context of web content processing, this typically happens when an object representing a DOM element or script variable is deallocated while still being referenced by another part of the application logic. The root cause lies in insufficient validation of object lifecycles and reference counting mechanisms during dynamic page rendering or JavaScript execution. When maliciously crafted web content triggers specific sequences of events that lead to premature memory release, the system retains a dangling pointer to that freed region.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-416 Use After Free as defined by the Common Weakness Enumeration standard. The operational impact is primarily characterized by an unexpected process crash when the browser attempts to access or manipulate data at the memory address previously occupied by the now-freed object. While modern operating systems employ various mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization and heap protection mechanisms, these do not entirely eliminate the risk of exploitation. An attacker who can host malicious web content may potentially leverage this instability to cause a denial of service against the user's device or browser session. In more severe scenarios where memory layout is predictable and other protections are bypassed, such vulnerabilities have historically been used as stepping stones for arbitrary code execution, allowing attackers to gain control over the affected application context.
The vulnerability affects Safari version 27.2 and corresponding updates across iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, and visionOS 27.2. These platforms integrate WebKit as their core web rendering engine, making them susceptible to exploits originating from malicious websites or embedded content within applications that utilize the system browser framework. The fix implemented in these updates involves improved memory management practices, specifically ensuring that references are properly nullified after deallocation and enforcing stricter lifecycle checks before accessing object data. This prevents the application from interacting with invalid memory regions during complex web page interactions.
Security professionals should classify this incident under MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Browser Relay or potentially T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter if used in conjunction with other vectors, though the primary immediate effect is denial of service through process termination. Mitigation strategies require users to update their devices immediately upon availability of these patches. For enterprise environments, enforcing automatic OS updates via Mobile Device Management solutions ensures that endpoints remain protected against such memory corruption flaws. Additionally, deploying content security policies and restricting execution of untrusted scripts can reduce the attack surface by limiting the types of malicious web content that can trigger vulnerable code paths within the browser engine.