CVE-2026-65345 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7 and iPadOS 26.7, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2026
The disclosed vulnerability represents a critical failure in the operating system's permission enforcement mechanisms, specifically within the iOS and iPadOS ecosystems as well as their desktop counterparts including macOS Sequoia, Tahoe, and Golden Gate variants. This issue stems from an insufficient restriction on application-level access controls, allowing software to bypass intended security boundaries that are designed to isolate user data from unauthorized applications. In a properly secured environment, every request for sensitive information such as contacts, photos, location history, or personal documents must be explicitly granted by the user and strictly validated by the system kernel before being fulfilled. However, in this instance, the validation logic contains a flaw that permits an application to retrieve private data without proper authorization or beyond the scope of permissions previously granted by the device owner.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which classifies Improper Privilege Management, and more specifically CWE-732, which denotes Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource. The core flaw lies in the application sandboxing architecture failing to correctly enforce access control lists or capability checks when an app attempts to query system services that host sensitive user information. This could occur due to a logic error in the API layer where legacy compatibility modes are not properly restricted, or through a race condition that allows data retrieval before permission revocation takes effect. Such flaws undermine the fundamental trust model of mobile and desktop operating systems, which rely on strict compartmentalization to prevent malicious actors from harvesting personal information even if they manage to install an application on the device.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it directly compromises user privacy and data confidentiality. An attacker who can exploit this flaw could potentially access a wide range of sensitive categories including but not limited to health records, financial details stored in wallets, private messages, camera roll contents, and precise geolocation history. This capability facilitates sophisticated social engineering attacks, identity theft, or corporate espionage if the affected device is used for professional purposes. Furthermore, because this issue affects multiple major operating system versions across Apple's ecosystem, including iOS 26.7 through 27 and corresponding macOS releases, the attack surface is significantly broadened. Users who have not yet applied the latest security patches remain vulnerable to automated exploitation tools that target these specific permission bypass techniques.
To mitigate this risk, it is imperative for all users to update their devices immediately to iOS 26.7 or later, iPadOS 26.7 or later, macOS Sequoia 15.8, Tahoe 26.7, and Golden Gate 27 as specified in the vendor's security advisory. These updates contain the necessary code changes to reinforce permission checks and close the logic gaps that allowed unauthorized data access. In addition to applying system patches, users should review app permissions regularly through the device settings interface, revoking access for applications that do not require specific sensitive data categories. Security professionals monitoring their networks or managed devices should ensure that configuration profiles enforce strict application whitelisting where applicable and utilize mobile device management solutions to detect anomalous behavior patterns indicative of this exploitation attempt. This incident underscores the importance of continuous patching cycles in maintaining the integrity of modern operating system security architectures against privilege escalation and data exfiltration threats.