CVE-2026-65406 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
A logic issue was addressed with improved validation. 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, tvOS 27, visionOS 27. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The disclosed vulnerability represents a logic flaw within the operating system's application sandboxing and entitlement management mechanisms, specifically affecting iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and visionOS platforms. This issue stems from insufficient validation of permissions or context during runtime operations, allowing an application to bypass intended restrictions on data access. In modern mobile and desktop ecosystems like Apple’s, applications operate within strict sandboxes that isolate their file system access and network capabilities based on declared entitlements and user-granted permissions. When a logic error occurs in the enforcement layer, it can lead to a state where the security boundary between apps is weakened or entirely bypassed for specific operations. This type of flaw is distinct from memory corruption vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows; instead, it relies on misinterpreting valid inputs or failing to check authorization states correctly before granting access to protected resources.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) category for Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of Memory Permissions, specifically focusing on logical flaws rather than physical memory bounds. It also maps closely to CWE-284: Improper Access Control, where an actor is able to access or perform actions that they are not authorized to do. In the context of Apple’s ecosystem, this likely involves a failure in the XPC (eXchange Process Communication) framework or similar inter-process communication mechanisms that enforce sandbox policies. If an application can trick the system into believing it has higher privileges than granted, or if it exploits a race condition in permission validation, it may retrieve sensitive user data such as contacts, photos, location history, or keystrokes without explicit consent. The absence of proper input validation on the requesting process’s identity or intent allows this unauthorized access to occur seamlessly from the perspective of the malicious app.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for silent data exfiltration and privacy violations. An attacker who can exploit this logic flaw could develop a seemingly benign application that, upon installation, silently accesses sensitive user information stored on the device. This data might include personally identifiable information (PII), financial details if banking apps are compromised through shared storage or clipboard access, or private communications. Because the exploitation relies on system-level permission bypasses rather than crashing applications, it is difficult for users to detect via standard UI indicators like camera or microphone icons. Furthermore, since this affects multiple major platforms including macOS and iOS, the attack surface is broad, impacting both personal device owners and enterprise environments where sensitive corporate data may be stored alongside personal information on company-issued devices.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate software updates as indicated by Apple’s release notes for iOS 26.7, iPadOS 26.7, iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, and related versions. For organizations managing fleets of these devices, ensuring that Mobile Device Management (MDM) profiles enforce automatic updates is critical to closing this window of exposure. From a defensive development standpoint, application developers must adhere strictly to the principle of least privilege, requesting only the minimum permissions necessary for functionality and validating all user inputs and system responses rigorously. Security researchers and penetration testers should focus on testing inter-process communication boundaries and entitlement validation logic when auditing applications targeting these platforms. Additionally, enabling features like App Privacy Reports can help users monitor which apps are accessing sensitive data categories, providing an additional layer of visibility into potential unauthorized access attempts even if the underlying vulnerability remains unpatched in older versions.