CVE-2026-113906 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
A null pointer dereference was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7.2 and iPadOS 26.7.2, iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2. An attacker in physical proximity may be able to cause a denial-of-service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2026
The vulnerability described involves a null pointer dereference within the operating system components of Apple devices running specific versions of iOS and iPadOS. A null pointer dereception occurs when software attempts to access memory through a pointer that has not been initialized or has been explicitly set to null, leading to an invalid memory reference. In this context, the flaw was addressed by implementing improved validation checks within the codebase to ensure that pointers are verified for validity before being used in critical operations. This type of error is typically categorized under CWE-476, which defines a NULL Pointer Dereference as a situation where a program dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is actually null, often resulting in application crashes or unexpected behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability allows an attacker with physical proximity to the target device to trigger a denial-of-service condition. Because the issue stems from improper input validation leading to a crash, local exploitation does not require network access or remote connectivity. Instead, the threat actor must be physically near the device to interact with it in a way that triggers the flawed code path. This could involve interacting with specific system services, APIs, or user interfaces where the null pointer condition is exposed. The result of such an exploit is typically a sudden termination of the affected process or service, which can lead to a complete freeze of the device if critical system processes are involved, thereby denying legitimate users access to their devices and disrupting normal operations.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques observed in local privilege escalation or denial-of-service attacks where physical access is leveraged to destabilize target systems. While it does not directly provide code execution or data exfiltration capabilities, the availability of such an exploit vector can be used as part of a broader attack chain to distract security personnel or create opportunities for further exploitation if other vulnerabilities are present in the same environment. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this behavior under Denial of Service techniques that target system availability rather than confidentiality or integrity, highlighting the importance of maintaining service continuity even against local threats.
Mitigation strategies primarily rely on applying the software updates provided by Apple to affected devices. Users running iOS 26.7.1 and earlier or iPadOS 26.7.1 and earlier should update immediately to versions 26.7.2, while those on older major branches like iOS 27.x prior to 27.2 must upgrade to the latest patch version. Beyond software updates, organizations managing fleets of Apple devices can enforce mobile device management policies that restrict physical access or monitor for unusual system crashes indicative of such exploits. Additionally, developers integrating similar frameworks should adopt strict null-checking practices and utilize static analysis tools during the development lifecycle to detect potential dereference errors before deployment, thereby reducing the attack surface for future vulnerabilities of this nature.