Executive brief
A memory management issue in Apple operating systems could allow a malicious application to cause a sudden system crash or termination. This affects a wide range of devices including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. While primarily impacting system stability, such flaws can sometimes be leveraged for more complex attacks.
Technical details
A use-after-free vulnerability exists in multiple Apple operating systems due to improper memory management. A local attacker, via a malicious application, could exploit this flaw to trigger an unexpected system termination (denial of service). The vulnerability is addressed in iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6, tvOS 26.6, visionOS 26.6, and watchOS 26.6 by improving how the system handles memory lifecycle.
Affected products
- Apple iOS and iPadOS Before 26.6
- Apple macOS Tahoe Before 26.6
- Apple tvOS Before 26.6
- Apple visionOS Before 26.6
- Apple watchOS Before 26.6
Timeline
- 2026-07-27: advisory
- 2026-07-27: disclosed
- 2026-07-27: patched