CVE-2026-84564 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
An uninitialized memory issue was addressed with improved memory initialization. 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. Processing a maliciously crafted image may result in disclosure of process memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The vulnerability described involves an uninitialized memory issue within the Apple operating system ecosystem, specifically affecting components responsible for processing image data. This flaw arises when software allocates or accesses memory regions without properly initializing them to known safe values before use. In many programming contexts, particularly those involving low-level systems like operating system kernels or media frameworks, failure to zero out or explicitly set memory contents can leave residual data from previous operations intact within that allocation. When a maliciously crafted image is processed by the affected software, it triggers code paths that read from these uninitialized memory segments. Because the content of such memory is unpredictable and often contains sensitive information previously held by other processes or system components, this behavior creates a direct pathway for unauthorized data exposure.
From a technical perspective, this type of flaw is classified under CWE-457, which defines an Uninitialized Variable vulnerability. The core issue lies in the lack of proper initialization before the variable or memory block is read. In the context of image processing libraries, attackers can craft specific file structures that cause the application to access offsets within a buffer that have not been cleared after prior operations. This differs from typical out-of-bounds reads because the data being accessed may be valid in terms of address range but invalid in terms of semantic content, leading to information leakage rather than immediate crashes or code execution. The impact is primarily confidentiality-related, as it allows an attacker who can induce the processing of a malicious image to view portions of process memory that should remain isolated and private.
The operational impact of this vulnerability centers on potential disclosure of sensitive system data. Depending on what was previously stored in the uninitialized memory regions, an attacker could potentially extract cryptographic keys, authentication tokens, personal user data, or other proprietary information held by the application processing the image. This poses a significant risk to users who may encounter such malicious images through email attachments, messaging applications, web browsers, or any service that automatically previews or processes visual content. The ability to read process memory can also serve as an initial foothold for more complex attacks, potentially aiding in bypassing security mitigations like Address Space Layout Randomization by revealing memory layout information.
Apple has addressed this issue through improved memory initialization practices within the affected components across multiple platforms including 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, and watchOS 27. These updates ensure that memory buffers are properly zeroed or initialized before being used in image processing routines, thereby eliminating the possibility of leaking stale data to malicious inputs. Users should update their devices immediately to mitigate this risk. From a defense-in-depth perspective, organizations can also implement content filtering solutions that inspect incoming images for malformed structures and block them before they reach vulnerable applications. Additionally, enabling sandboxing mechanisms where possible helps limit the scope of memory access even if such an exploit were attempted, reducing the potential blast radius of any successful exploitation attempt aligned with ATT&CK techniques related to unauthorized data exfiltration from local systems.