CVE-2026-86892 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
This issue was addressed with additional entitlement checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7 and iPadOS 26.7, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, visionOS 27. An app may be able to cause a denial-of-service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The vulnerability described involves a flaw within the operating system's entitlement management subsystem, specifically related to how applications request or are granted access to protected resources. In iOS and iPadOS environments, entitlements serve as a critical security mechanism that defines the specific capabilities an application is permitted to utilize, such as accessing user data, hardware features, or network interfaces. The issue arises when these entitlement checks fail to properly validate permissions before allowing certain operations to proceed. This lapse in access control logic allows a maliciously crafted or compromised application to bypass intended restrictions, leading to unauthorized resource consumption that results in a denial-of-service condition.
From a technical perspective, the core flaw is categorized under CWE-284 Improper Access Control and more specifically aligns with CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions if the failure occurs during error handling paths, or CWE-913: Improper Control of Dynamically-Managed Code Resources if it involves resource exhaustion. The attacker exploits this weakness by triggering a sequence of actions that forces the system to allocate excessive resources without proper authorization checks. This could involve repeatedly requesting high-cost operations such as memory allocation, thread creation, or cryptographic computations while bypassing standard quota limits due to the missing entitlement verification. Consequently, the device experiences significant performance degradation, application crashes, or complete unresponsiveness as the operating system struggles to manage the illicitly acquired resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily a denial-of-service against the affected device and potentially other applications running on it. Since iOS and iPadOS rely heavily on strict sandboxing and resource isolation between apps, an app that successfully exploits this flaw can degrade the user experience by consuming CPU cycles, memory, or battery life disproportionately. In severe cases, the system may be forced to terminate the offending application or even reboot to restore stability. This undermines the reliability of the mobile platform, which is critical for both personal and enterprise users who depend on consistent device availability. Furthermore, if this denial-of-service vector can be triggered remotely via a maliciously crafted web page or message, it could lead to widespread disruption across many devices simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies focus primarily on applying the provided software updates that address these entitlement checks. Users should ensure their iOS and iPadOS devices are updated to version 26.7 or later, as well as versions 27 of iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS where applicable. These patches introduce additional validation layers within the kernel's security framework to verify application permissions before granting access to sensitive resources. For developers, it is essential to adhere strictly to Apple’s entitlement guidelines during app development and testing phases. Implementing robust error handling that gracefully degrades resource usage rather than looping indefinitely can also help prevent exploitation of similar logic flaws in third-party applications. Security teams should monitor for unusual system behavior indicative of resource exhaustion attacks and ensure that mobile device management policies enforce up-to-date operating systems to minimize exposure to such vulnerabilities.