CVE-2026-65354 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27. A malicious app may be able to break out of its sandbox.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The vulnerability described involves a critical failure in the operating system's application sandboxing mechanism, which is designed to isolate applications from one another and from core system resources. This security architecture relies on strict permission boundaries that prevent processes outside their designated scope from accessing sensitive data or executing privileged operations. In this specific instance, an insufficient restriction within these permissions allowed a maliciously crafted application to bypass the intended isolation controls. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker could execute code with elevated privileges effectively breaking out of the sandbox environment where the app was originally confined. This type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-250, which refers to execution with unnecessary privileges, and aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation such as T1068 exploitation for privilege escalation or potentially T1055 if it leads to process injection following the escape.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe because sandbox escapes fundamentally undermine the trust model of modern mobile and desktop operating systems like iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. When an application successfully breaks out of its sandbox, it gains access to files, memory space, or system services that were previously inaccessible. This can lead to unauthorized data exfiltration where sensitive user information such as contacts, messages, photos, or credentials stored in other applications are read by the malicious entity. Furthermore, the attacker may leverage this elevated position to install persistent malware, modify system configurations, or pivot to attack other connected devices on the same network. The ability to escape sandboxing effectively neutralizes one of the primary defenses against mobile and desktop threats, allowing for a broader scope of compromise than typical application-level vulnerabilities permit.
Apple addressed this issue by implementing additional restrictions within the permission handling logic in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate 27. These updates likely involve tightening the validation checks that govern inter-process communication or file system access permissions to ensure that applications cannot request or receive privileges beyond their assigned scope. To mitigate this risk, users must immediately update their devices to the latest available software versions which contain these security patches. For enterprise environments, it is crucial to enforce mobile device management policies that prevent the installation of unsigned or unverified apps and to regularly audit application permissions. Additionally, developers should adhere to strict sandboxing guidelines during app development and utilize static analysis tools to detect potential permission bypasses before deployment. Continuous monitoring for anomalous behavior indicative of privilege escalation attempts remains a vital defense layer even after patching is applied.