Executive brief
A vulnerability in macOS could allow a malicious application to cause the computer to crash or shut down unexpectedly. This issue affects several versions of the Mac operating system, potentially disrupting work and causing data loss if unsaved. Apple has released software updates to correct how the system handles memory to prevent this behavior.
Technical details
An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, and Tahoe. The issue was caused by insufficient bounds checking when processing certain data. A local application can exploit this flaw to trigger an out-of-bounds memory access, resulting in a kernel panic or unexpected system termination (Denial of Service). Apple addressed the vulnerability by implementing improved bounds checking in macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, and macOS Tahoe 26.6.
Affected products
- Apple macOS Sequoia before 15.7.8
- Apple macOS Sonoma before 14.8.8
- Apple macOS Tahoe before 26.6
Timeline
- 2026-07-27: disclosed
- 2026-07-27: patched