CVE-2026-84507 in iPadOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
A race condition was addressed with improved state handling. 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, watchOS 27. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The disclosed vulnerability represents a race condition within the operating system's core state management mechanisms, specifically affecting Apple’s ecosystem including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. Race conditions occur when software performs operations in an incorrect sequence due to timing dependencies between concurrent processes or threads. In this instance, the flaw stems from inadequate synchronization during critical state transitions within the kernel space. The resolution involves implementing stricter state handling protocols that ensure atomicity and proper locking mechanisms are applied before accessing shared resources. This technical correction prevents scenarios where multiple execution contexts attempt to modify system states simultaneously without adequate mutual exclusion, thereby eliminating the window of opportunity for an attacker to exploit timing discrepancies.
From a security architecture perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which defines race conditions involving concurrent access and updates to shared resources. The absence of proper synchronization allows an application to manipulate the internal state of the operating system in ways that were not intended by the developers. When such a condition is triggered, it can lead to undefined behavior within the kernel memory space. This is particularly dangerous because the kernel operates with high privileges, managing hardware abstraction and core system services. A successful exploitation could allow an unprivileged application to interfere with these privileged operations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions depending on how the corrupted state propagates through the system layers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for causing unexpected system termination or kernel memory corruption. System termination manifests as a crash or reboot, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) condition that disrupts availability for end-users and enterprise environments relying on continuous uptime. More critically, the possibility of corrupting kernel memory opens the door to privilege escalation attacks. If an attacker can control the data written during the race window, they may overwrite function pointers or return addresses in kernel space, leading to arbitrary code execution with root-level privileges. This capability fundamentally breaks the trust boundary between user-space applications and the operating system core, allowing malicious software to bypass security controls such as sandboxing and integrity checks.
In terms of threat modeling, this vulnerability maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion through kernel exploitation. Attackers typically leverage race conditions in scenarios where they can repeatedly trigger state changes faster than the system can validate them, a technique often seen in local exploit development for gaining elevated access on mobile or desktop platforms. The fix provided in iOS 26.7, iPadOS 26.7, and subsequent versions addresses this by enforcing stricter validation checks during state transitions. This ensures that only valid states are accepted and that concurrent modifications are serialized properly to prevent inconsistent memory states.
Mitigation strategies primarily rely on the deployment of the latest software updates provided by Apple for all affected platforms. Organizations should prioritize patching iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS devices to ensure the improved state handling mechanisms are active. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, strict application whitelisting and sandboxing policies can help mitigate risk by limiting which applications have access to sensitive system APIs that might trigger these race conditions. Additionally, monitoring for unusual kernel-level activity or frequent system crashes could serve as an indicator of attempted exploitation in real-time security operations centers.