CVE-2026-65336 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/18/2026
This issue was addressed through improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10, iOS 26.6.1 and iPadOS 26.6.1, macOS Tahoe 26.6.2. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to an unexpected Safari crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2026
The vulnerability described involves a flaw in the state management logic within Apple's WebKit rendering engine, which powers the Safari browser across iOS and iPadOS devices as well as macOS systems including the recently released Tahoe edition. This issue was addressed through improved state management mechanisms designed to ensure that internal variables and object states remain consistent during complex web content processing operations. The core technical flaw likely stems from a race condition or an improper handling of asynchronous events where the application fails to validate the current state before proceeding with memory allocation or pointer dereferencing tasks triggered by maliciously crafted HTML, CSS, or JavaScript payloads. When such malformed content is processed, it can cause the browser engine to enter an invalid internal state, leading to a segmentation fault or similar critical error that results in an unexpected crash of the Safari application process.
From a technical perspective, this type of vulnerability typically falls under categories related to improper input validation and race conditions within web rendering engines. It aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifiers such as CWE-362 for concurrent execution using shared resources with inadequate synchronization or CWE-119 for buffer-related memory corruption if the state mismanagement leads to out-of-bounds access. The operational impact of this flaw is primarily denial of service against the user's browsing session, manifesting as a sudden termination of the Safari application without warning or data preservation. While modern mobile operating systems include sandboxing and crash recovery mechanisms that may mitigate some downstream effects, repeated exploitation could potentially be leveraged in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to achieve arbitrary code execution if memory corruption is involved, although the primary reported impact here remains stability-related rather than privilege escalation.
The affected software versions indicate a broad scope of exposure across multiple Apple platforms, including iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10 for mobile devices, as well as macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 for desktop environments. This widespread impact underscores the importance of timely patching since Safari is often the default browser on these systems, making users particularly susceptible to drive-by attacks via malicious websites or phishing campaigns that utilize crafted web content designed specifically to trigger this state management failure. Attackers could host a webpage containing exploit code that manipulates DOM elements or JavaScript execution contexts in ways that expose the underlying race condition or logic error within WebKit's rendering pipeline.
To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, users must ensure their devices are updated to the latest secure versions of iOS 18.7.10, iPadOS 18.7.10, and macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 as soon as possible. These updates contain the necessary patches that enforce stricter state validation checks before processing web content, thereby preventing the conditions that lead to crashes. Additionally, organizations should implement mobile device management policies to automate patch deployment across all corporate-owned iOS and iPadOS devices. For individual users, enabling automatic system updates is recommended to reduce the window of exposure. Security awareness training regarding suspicious links and untrusted websites remains a critical complementary defense layer, as it reduces the likelihood of users inadvertently navigating to malicious content that could trigger this flaw in older or unpatched systems.