CVE-2026-86988 in iPadOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, tvOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2, watchOS 27.2. Processing a maliciously crafted image may result in disclosure of process memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2026
The vulnerability described involves a critical security flaw within the image processing subsystems of Apple operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. The core technical issue stems from insufficient validation or bounds checking when handling specially crafted image files. In many modern operating systems, image decoding libraries are complex components that must parse various formats such as JPEG, PNG, HEIC, or WebP. When a maliciously crafted image is processed, the application responsible for rendering or analyzing the image may fail to correctly verify memory allocation sizes against actual data lengths. This discrepancy can lead to buffer over-read conditions where the system attempts to access memory locations beyond the intended boundaries of the allocated buffer.
This type of flaw typically falls under the category of CWE-125, Out-of-bounds Read, which is a common weakness in software that handles untrusted input without proper sanitization or length verification. The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it allows for the disclosure of process memory contents. An attacker who can trick a user into opening a malicious image file could potentially extract sensitive information stored in the application's memory space. This might include authentication tokens, encryption keys, personal data, or other confidential information that was previously loaded but not yet cleared from memory. The severity is heightened by the fact that this affects multiple platforms, suggesting a shared codebase or library across Apple’s ecosystem where the same underlying logic error exists in various contexts.
From an offensive security perspective, such vulnerabilities are often leveraged to achieve arbitrary code execution through more complex exploitation chains involving heap spraying or information leakage followed by return-oriented programming techniques. However, even without full code execution, memory disclosure alone poses a severe risk to user privacy and data integrity. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005, Data from Local System, specifically the sub-technique of file and directory discovery via memory scraping or direct access. This classification highlights how attackers can use this flaw to gather intelligence about the victim's environment without necessarily triggering immediate system crashes or obvious signs of compromise.
Apple has addressed this issue by implementing improved checks within the image processing pipeline. These mitigations likely involve stricter validation of input parameters, enhanced bounds checking during memory allocation and copying operations, and potentially the introduction of safer abstractions that prevent direct pointer arithmetic errors. The fix is included in iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, tvOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. Users are strongly advised to update their devices immediately to ensure these protective measures are active. Until the patch is applied, users should exercise caution when opening image files from untrusted sources or unknown origins, as they may be crafted specifically to trigger this memory disclosure flaw.