CVE-2026-65367 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2026
A null pointer dereference was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.9 and iPadOS 18.7.9, iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2026
The vulnerability described involves a null pointer dereference within the operating systems iOS and iPadOS, specifically affecting versions prior to 18.7.9 and 26.5 respectively. A null pointer dereference occurs when software attempts to access memory through a pointer that has not been initialized or has been explicitly set to null. In the context of mobile operating system kernels or core services, this type of flaw typically arises from insufficient input validation where an application provides data that leads the system to expect a valid object reference but receives none instead. When the code attempts to dereference this invalid pointer to access properties or invoke methods on what it assumes is a live memory address, the processor triggers a segmentation fault or similar critical error because the virtual memory page containing null addresses is generally unmapped for security reasons.
From a technical perspective, this flaw represents a failure in defensive programming practices where edge cases involving empty or missing data structures are not adequately handled before being processed by lower-level system components. The root cause lies in the lack of rigorous checks to ensure that pointers returned from memory allocation routines or function calls are non-null prior to their use. This is classified under CWE-476, which denotes NULL Pointer Dereference, a common weakness found across many software platforms when developers assume certain conditions will always hold true without verifying them at runtime. The absence of these checks allows an untrusted input source, in this case a third-party application running on the device, to manipulate the control flow of the system into accessing invalid memory locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily centered around availability and stability rather than confidentiality or integrity. As noted in the advisory, the consequence is that an app may be able to cause unexpected system termination. This means that a malicious or poorly coded application can trigger a denial-of-service condition by repeatedly invoking the vulnerable code path, leading to crashes in critical system services or even a full reboot of the device depending on which subsystem is affected. While this does not directly grant arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation, it degrades the user experience and reliability of the platform. In high-security environments, such instability can be exploited for resource exhaustion attacks or as part of a larger attack chain to disrupt operations during critical tasks.
Mitigation strategies focus on both immediate patching and long-term defensive coding practices. The primary remediation is to update iOS and iPadOS to version 18.7.9 or 26.5, where Apple has implemented improved input validation logic to prevent the dereferencing of null pointers in these specific code paths. For developers creating applications for these platforms, it is essential to implement robust error handling that validates all object references before use. This includes checking return values from memory allocation functions and ensuring that data structures passed between components are properly initialized. Furthermore, adopting static analysis tools during the development lifecycle can help identify potential null pointer issues early in the software development process, reducing the likelihood of such vulnerabilities reaching production builds.
In terms of threat modeling, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499, Endpoint Denial of Service, specifically under sub-techniques related to resource exhaustion or service disruption via application crashes. Although it is not a direct exploit for data theft, the ability to crash system components can be leveraged in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to achieve more severe outcomes, such as bypassing security controls that rely on continuous uptime or stability of background services. Therefore, treating this issue with high priority ensures the overall resilience and trustworthiness of the mobile ecosystem against both accidental crashes and intentional abuse by malicious actors seeking to disrupt service availability.