Executive brief
Apple's Keychain is a secure storage system used across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS to protect sensitive credentials and authentication data. A vulnerability allowed malicious apps to delete stored credentials without proper authorization, potentially exposing users to account takeover and loss of secure access to online services. Apple addressed this issue by removing the vulnerable code in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, and visionOS 27.
Technical details
This vulnerability affects the Keychain system component across multiple Apple platforms (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS). The issue allowed an installed application to delete credentials stored in Keychain without proper authorization checks. The attack vector is local—requiring installation of a malicious app on the device—and does not require elevated privileges or user interaction beyond installing the compromised app. An attacker exploiting this could delete or corrupt stored passwords, authentication tokens, and certificates, disrupting the victim's ability to access secured accounts and services. Apple's fix involved removing the vulnerable code path entirely rather than patching it.
Affected products
- Apple iOS 27 and later (fixed)
- Apple iPadOS 27 and later (fixed)
- Apple macOS Golden Gate 27 and later (fixed)
- Apple visionOS 27 and later (fixed)
Timeline
- 2026-09-14: disclosed
- 2026-09-14: patched: Fixed in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, and visionOS 27