CVE-2026-86885: Apple iOS input validation issue in wireless radio component

CVE-2026-86885 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.5 · Published 2026-09-14

iOS and iPadOS devices can be remotely disrupted by an attacker within radio range sending maliciously crafted wireless signals. This vulnerability allows an attacker to cause the device to crash unexpectedly, resulting in loss of availability without requiring any user interaction or authentication. The issue affects a wide range of iPhone and iPad models.

Technologies: Apple iPadOS, Apple Iphone Os. Vendors: Apple.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-86885 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-86885 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-86885?
Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.5, published 14 September 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Apple iPadOS before 27.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-86885?
A patch was published on 2026-09-14: Fixed in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-86885 attacked?
It is attacked from the adjacent network, in an operating system.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-86885?
Check whether you run Apple iPadOS or Apple Iphone Os at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

An input validation vulnerability exists in the wireless radio processing component of iOS and iPadOS, where maliciously crafted radio signals are not properly validated before processing. An attacker in radio range can send specially crafted wireless packets to trigger unexpected system termination. No user interaction or authentication is required; the attack succeeds purely through network proximity and crafted radio frames. The vulnerability was patched in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 through improved input validation in the radio signal processing stack.

Affected products

  • Apple iOS before 27
  • Apple iPadOS before 27

Timeline

  • 2026-09-14: disclosed: iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 released with patch
  • 2026-09-14: patched: Fixed in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27

References

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