CVE-2026-84521

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Use After Free in Apple iOS and macOS

Publication date: 2026-09-14

Last updated on: 2026-09-16

Assigner: Apple Inc.

Description

A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. 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, visionOS 27. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-14

Last Modified

2026-09-16

Generated

2026-10-05

AI Q&A

2026-09-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-04

NVD

CVE-2026-84521

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
apple	ipados	to 26.7 (exc)
apple	iphone_os	to 26.7 (exc)
apple	macos	From 15.0 (inc) to 15.8 (exc)
apple	macos	From 26.0 (inc) to 26.7 (exc)
apple	visionos	to 27.0 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a use after free vulnerability caused by improper memory management. The issue occurs when a program continues to use memory after it has been freed, potentially leading to crashes or unexpected behavior. Apple addressed it by improving memory handling in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS updates.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is a use-after-free issue in Apple operating systems. Detection typically requires analyzing memory management in running applications or system logs. No specific commands are provided in the available context to directly detect this issue.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to cause an app to crash or terminate unexpectedly. This may lead to data loss, denial of service, or in some cases, allow further malicious activity if combined with other vulnerabilities.

Compliance Impact

The provided CVE data does not specify how this vulnerability impacts compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA. The issue involves a use-after-free flaw that could cause unexpected system termination, but no direct implications for regulatory compliance are mentioned.

Mitigation Strategies

Update affected systems to the latest patched versions: iOS 26.7 or later, iPadOS 26.7 or later, iOS 27 or later, iPadOS 27 or later, macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7, or visionOS 27.

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