CVE-2026-86870

Undergoing Analysis Undergoing Analysis - In Progress

Heap Buffer Overflow in Apple iOS and iPadOS

Publication date: 2026-09-14

Last updated on: 2026-09-18

Assigner: Apple Inc.

Description

A heap buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7 and iPadOS 26.7, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, visionOS 27, watchOS 27. Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected app termination.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-09-14

Last Modified

2026-09-18

Generated

2026-10-05

AI Q&A

2026-09-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-04

NVD

CVE-2026-86870

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
apple	ipados	to 26.7 (exc)
apple	iphone_os	to 26.7 (exc)
apple	macos	to 27.0 (exc)
apple	visionos	to 27.0 (exc)
apple	watchos	to 27.0 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability caused by insufficient bounds checking when processing files. It allows maliciously crafted files to trigger unexpected app termination by writing beyond allocated memory in the heap.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to Apple operating systems and relates to processing maliciously crafted files. Detection would require checking system versions against the patched releases (iOS 26.7/iPadOS 26.7, iOS 27/iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, visionOS 27, watchOS 27). No direct detection commands are provided in the available context.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could cause apps to crash unexpectedly when opening malicious files. It may also potentially allow arbitrary code execution depending on the system's memory layout and protections.

Compliance Impact

The provided CVE data does not specify any direct impact on compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA. The vulnerability involves a heap buffer overflow that could lead to app termination but lacks details on data exposure or privacy implications.

Mitigation Strategies

Update affected Apple devices to the latest versions: iOS 26.7 or later, iPadOS 26.7 or later, macOS Golden Gate 27, visionOS 27, or watchOS 27. Avoid opening untrusted files until updates are applied.

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