A use‑after‑free flaw in macOS memory management can allow a malicious application to trigger a crash, causing the operating system to terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability is a classic example of an improper free of memory that is later accessed, leading to instability rather than code execution. The impact is a denial‑of‑service scenario where the entire system may become unavailable until rebooted or updated.

The vulnerability affects Apple macOS versions older than Sequoia 15.7.2, Sonoma 14.8.2, and Tahoe 26.1. Updating to any of these releases incorporates the corrected memory handling and eliminates the risk.

The CVSS score of 5.5 indicates a moderate severity. EPSS is less than 1 %, suggesting that exploitation is unlikely but not impossible. The vulnerability is not currently listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, and it is inferred that exploitation would likely require local or privileged contexts rather than remote exploitation.